Audaces Fortuna Iquvat
by Matrices
Summary: Ginny and Catrin have been best friends since before Hogwarts, well, excluding that nasty Riddle incident. They can handle anything together, but forces are combining that will throw the dream team, them and an unexpected guest into turmoil
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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Chapter One

Catrin's teeth were clenched as she held her arm still and finished writing the ingredients to the potion they were to brew today on her arm in her ornate, curly writing.  She blew on her arm before pulling her robe back down over it, and capped her bottle of ink.  She wiped spare ink off her eagle-feather quill, and tucked it under her pillow with the ink, praying that the ink did not leak.

"Catrin!  What are you doing?  Hurry up!" Ginny's Weasly's impatient voice called from outside the dorm door.  Catrin jumped off the bed and walked out the door.

"Ready," she said, happily.  They walked down the stairs and into the common room.  There were few people here, mainly stragglers trying to make sure that all their homework done for classes.  Most people weren't up, or they were down at breakfast already, the latter was where Ginny and Catrin were headed.  They slipped through the portrait hole, and meandered through the cold winter halls of Hogwarts, to the Great Hall.  Catrin shuffled her cloak around on her shoulders, and clasped and re-clasped the silver buckle.  Ginny looked radiant in the cold, her cheeks flushed red, her hair shimmering garnet as alternate shafts of light caught it.  Catrin's own dark brown hair tried to sneak tendrils out of the clasp and over her face; she brushed them away impatiently.

"Advanced Potions first, I don't know how I'll stomach Snape this early in the morning," Catrin groaned.  Ginny laughed.

"You stomached him perfectly well after lunch, what's so different about our new schedule?"  The two girls had been taking advanced potions, and, at the request of Dumbledore, had moved into the Sixth-years' class.  This had radically changed their schedule, and they had only been going to those classes for a week.  (This new addition of Advanced Potions forced them to take Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts at the same time, much to their delight.  It was a class that people admired you for passing, and both Catrin and Ginny were strong in DADA.)  In Advanced Potions, it turned out, that Snape was _almost_ equally cruel to Gryffindors and Slytherins alike.  This class was not for idiots, he had told them, and if they wanted to stay there, there would be no horseplay, no stupid comments…  Snape had prattled on for close to an hour with all the rules he expected them to obey.

"It's advanced.  There's Harry and Ron and Hermione there.  Come on, I can make an ass of myself with my year-mates but making an ass out of myself with _them_ there!  It'll be so…humiliating!" Catrin replied.  Ginny was the real potions expert; she could commit almost anything to memory after only a few looks at it, depending on the length.  That made her an invaluable potions partner.  Ginny also hated the fact that she would always be "Ron's little sister" or "Bill's little sister" and that people rarely noticed her for Ginny, star Quidditch player and potions expert.  So, while Catrin had many problems with being in a class with _The Boy Who Lived_ and Hermione Granger, Ginny merely yawned at what other fifth-year girls would have called a novelty.  Ginny's crush on Harry had long worn of, and Catrin never had one, so neither of them were interested in that aspect of being in a class with them.

Catrin wouldn't have eaten anything at breakfast if Ginny hadn't forced her to.  It was Friday, just two days until Gryffindor's Quidditch match against Slytherin.  Beside her nervousness for the Gryffindor team's first really trying match, Catrin was terrified of the aspect of joining an advanced class.  Where Ginny had a yearning black hole for knowledge, Catrin was like a cat.  She didn't know what she wanted, but she wanted more of it.  More knowledge terrified her, intrigued her and left her craving more.  So, while she mindlessly ate, she ran over the list of things she had branded into her mind to do for today.  When she had expended that, squeezing out every last detail, she ran over her new moves for the Quidditch match.

As a chaser, she was open to attack, and had been before.  She knew just where she had to be for which maneuvers, but was unsure of her ability to do it.  She rose when Ginny tugged on her sleeve, and walked mindlessly out into the hall.  Ginny, clicked her fingers in front of Catrin's face.

"You can't turn up to Potions looking like that, Snape'll _kill_ you!" Ginny said, snapping Catrin out of her reverie.  "Come on, maybe if we turn up to potions early and study later chapters in our books, Snape will finally think that we're serious about this class."

Catrin nodded.  It seemed plausible enough.  They headed down to the dungeons, making sure that they didn't trip over Mrs. Norris while they were there.  Peeves met them in the hallway and opened his mouth.

Catrin beat him to it.  "Peeves, before you say anything incriminating, I would like to remind you that Professor Snape told you that if you were found anywhere _near_ his dungeon again he would string you up on the Quidditch pitch wearing pink lingerie, so I would think before I speak.  You wouldn't want a nice convenient trail to be following you so Professor Snape you find you immediately would you?" Catrin widened her eyes and feigned innocence.  Ginny smothered a giggle at the memory of the incident.

Peeves closed his mouth and flew off, muttering about pushy fifth years.  When Catrin and Ginny entered the dungeon, there was no one there, but the door leading to the potions storeroom was open.  Ginny and Catrin slid into their seats.  The seating in most classes was not organized and Ginny and Catrin chose to sit together, no matter who their potion-partners were.  Ginny immediately pulled out her book and began committing more information to memory.  Catrin hesitated.  Snape often left a parchment hanging on the wall that told them who their potions partners were, and he liked them to be in that order when class began.  She was about to stand up when Draco Malfoy and a group of his Slytherin cronies—Crabbe and Goyle had, unsurprisingly, not made it into the class—and they sauntered over to the list.

Malfoy sat down at the next block of two-desks after looking at the list and turned lazily to Catrin.  "Kismet, you're with me," he stated plainly, and returned to talking to his friends.

Catrin nodded a silent apology to Ginny, who merely nodded and went back to studying her book.  Catrin moved over to sit next to Malfoy, and took out her book.  She shifted the chair back and rested one knee on the table, leaning the book against that knee.  Malfoy stopped talking to his friends when some of them left and more people filtered into the room.  He looked over her shoulder at the chapter she was studying—one chapter ahead of what they were currently studying.

"My, my.  How admirable of you Kismet, to be so incredibly studious," he whispered as he moved his head away from her shoulder.  A small shiver ran down her spine and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and continued reading the chapter.  His white blonde hair brushed against her cheek as he turned to talk with his friends.  Ginny looked at him and scowled, presuming him to have insulted her again.

Catrin ignored the prickling feeling running up and down her arms.  She was the sensible one, just like Ginny.  She was trying to _do_ something with her life, she didn't need complications.  Small questions niggled in the back of her mind, and she sat wondering.  What the hell just happened?

Catrin scowled as Malfoy smiled laconically, his large pale hands cutting up the Mandrake leaves they were required to use in the potion.  It was the last thing they needed to add before letting it stew for fifteen minutes.  Thanks to Draco's total self-esteem in potions and Catrin's knowledge where his lacked, they were well ahead of the rest of the class.  Harry and Ron were experiencing trouble with their Mandrake leaves, and Ginny and Hermione were a little behind Catrin and Draco.

Catrin took her book out and continued reading the chapter that she had stopped reading when Snape walked in.  For a classroom it was unusually quiet.  That was a result of Snape's discipline.  The crackling of fires under cauldrons and the small, muted mutterings of students discussing their potions was all that could be heard.  So Catrin was left alone with her thoughts.  But, not trusting herself to deviate from her work, she had taken out her book and was reading.

She sighed, at the thought of Draco's unwanted attention.  That was a path she had tried not to stray on all her life.  Despite a few mild crushes, her life was normal.  She had seen what guys did to girls.  All too many times she had heard Lavender Brown or Parvati Patil giggling and shrieking at the antics of their current boyfriends.  All too often she had comforted Jenna or Marin, who had had their hearts ripped out and impaled in the name of love.

Boys, she decided, were a distraction.

In that way, Ginny was ultimately the perfect friend.  She didn't flirt, she didn't flaunt her natural good looks.  She was someone who you could be the only person you were around, and she didn't have two personalities.

Over the years, Catrin and Ginny had been best friends.  Except for the time in their first year when Catrin had been moody and unreachable.  Ginny had retreated to her diary, Tom's Diary, really, and had got into all that mess with the Chamber of Secrets.  Catrin was one of the few who knew the true story.

She had spent so much time with the Weaslys and Ginny in the past, that she almost felt a sister.  Much better than her own shambled family life had to offer.  She had strayed from the path her parents had carved for her, model students, Head Boy and Girl, a year apart, they had both been involved in the Ministry, specializing in different charms.  Catrin preferred Defense Against the Dark Arts and Quidditch to Charms, something her parents had never really forgiven her for.

"Kismet, take the potion off."  Malfoy knocked her arm to get her attention.  Catrin scowled at him, and took the potion off the fire and allowed it to cool.  She had left her book open to where she was reading on the desk, and Professor Snape sauntered up the isle, criticizing and scowling.  He took one look at her open book, and turned to her.

"Kismet, Malfoy.  Your potion will be tested first, so be prepared.  Kismet.  You will meet me after class," he said, his lip curling only slightly at Kismet, offset by the shining of his favourite student, Malfoy.

Their potion, like most others, was a success at bringing their charmed model back to life.  As everyone filed out Catrin stayed in her seat, shivering.  The dungeon was cold, but she had the feeling that what Snape was about to deliver would curdle fresh milk.  The potions master paced for a few moments, silently.  Catrin sat and worried about her face.  So ironic, she thought, that my last name should mean _fortune_.  Snape certainly didn't get _that_ part.

"Miss. Kismet.  I"—he stopped, his upper lip curling—"sympathize with your situation.  I can see why you feel the _need_"—he stopped again, scowling—"to get ahead of the rest of the class.  I understand that you wish to be knowledgeable in the area of Potions, but"—here it was.  Catrin recognized it.  He had been fairly nice so far, and was about to deliver the killer—"don't you think that you should ably understand the topics that we have already covered, before attempting anything harder.  I would hate for the friend of Harry _Potter_"—he spat the word out—"to come to any harm."

He had been scowling the whole time.  Catrin felt the need to say some smart-alecky remark that would wipe the scowl off his face.  She tried her very best to look upset.  "I was going to ask you about that Professor.  May I have permission to use this dungeon on Monday night, to practice a few potions that I just can't get.  It would be for the best if I had someone here to help me, as well," she tried as hard as she could to look thoroughly chastised.  She layered self-admonishment and utter adoration of the Professor on in generous amounts.  Snape's expression didn't soften.

"I will arrange for someone to meet you here.  Most likely me.  You are excused, go," he said.  Catrin picked up her book-bag and hurried out, trying to restrain the smile form her face.  If she had asked in any other way Snape would have found some way to refuse, making sure that she would fail something in the final.

Ginny met her outside the door.  "What did that slimy old bastard want?" she asked.  Scowling.  Ginny's hate of all Slytherins had intensified over the years.

"He wanted to talk to me about my utter lack of talent for Potions.  As usual," Catrin snorted, and sorted through her bag for her spare quill, to be ready for their next class.  The rest of the day passed in a multicoloured whirl.  Professor Sprout was incredibly mad because _something _ had got to her Mandrakes, and McGonagall had been having trouble in the previous class when Neville Longbottom turned a chair into a nest of snakes.

The Great Hall was full of light and life as people came to dinner.  As usual, Ginny and Catrin walked in together, but today Ginny led Catrin away from their normal crowd.  Girls of all year levels looked at her jealously when Ginny sat her down with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"What did Snape want with you after class today?" Hermione asked.  Catrin snorted.

"Just to insult my total lack of talent in Potions.  But, at least today he couldn't complain about my not remembering all the ingredients," she pulled up the sleeve of her robe to reveal the list.  Ron and Hermione shook their heads, Ron in amazement, Hermione in wonder.

"It just looks like a bunch of designs, you have _got_ to show me how to do that," Ron said.  Catrin laughed.

"You have all the knowledge there, why don't you use it?" Hermione asked.  Ginny snorted.

"Too lazy, that's my bet."

Small talk continued.  Most of it was about Sunday's game.  Harry was the team captain now, and he had a whole new team.  Oliver Pascal and Henry Fitzreinald were the other Chasers, aside from Catrin.  Ginny and Monday deCerizay were the Beaters and Julie Quinn was the Keeper.

"And this year there will be another glorious win for Gryffindor," Ginny predicted happily, leaning back on her chair.  Catrin smiled.  With Harry, there was hardly any way they could lose.

As Ginny and Catrin walked through the throng of people leaving the great hall, Catrin felt a light brush on her cheek.  She spun around, trying to see who it was, but whoever it was had disappeared into the crowd.

More mysteries, thought Catrin, just what I need.

A/N:  This has been revised, unless you can't tell.  Ginny and Catrin are in their **fifth** year while Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Dean, Seamus etc. are in their **sixth** year.  Thankyou to those who reviewed, namely **Jae**, **Junbug**, **Naavi**, **Gray Frog** and my wonderful **Naddie**.  It's great to see those reviews.  As pointed out by Naavi, I had issues with the whole sixth-year/fifth-year thing, but corrected it and some other minor errors!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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Chapter Two

"Come into Hogsmeade with us, Catrin," Ginny begged, dragging on Catrin's arm as she slept.  It was about nine in the morning, and Ginny had been up for an hour, mainly reading her latest book and getting in a little extra Transfiguration homework.  Catrin rolled over and pulled the covers over her head, mumbling.  Ginny laughed and pulled the covers all the way off Catrin.  Ginny's lilac-hooded rat was sitting on her shoulder, its tail thrashing.  The rat—Hoodwink—had been an early Christmas present for Ginny from Fred and George.  At first, Catrin had been afraid that the poor thing would blow up when 

"Do I have to get up?" Catrin moaned.  She was tired, and she just wanted to sleep.  Ginny laughed again.

"Come on, up!  Up!" she said the last part warningly and Catrin pulled herself out of bed and into her clothes.  She wore her navy blue winter robes, and warm Muggle clothing underneath.  She sniffed, and found that her nose was blocked.

"Catrin?" Ginny said, suddenly noticing Catrin's pale face and hearing her blocked nose, "Maybe you should stay in.  You look sick, we don't want you sick for our game tomorrow," Ginny said.  Catrin shook her head.

"I'll be fine."  The words came out slightly slurred, but Catrin plowed on, "It'll all clear up by this evening."

Ginny shook her head, and they walked down to the Great Hall together.  They ate breakfast with Harry, Hermione and Ron.  It was becoming a habit of theirs to eat with the dynamic trio, as Ginny called them.

When they were finished they trooped out of the Great Hall.  The snow was thick and soon the bottoms of their robes were soaked, until Hermione put a nice water-repelling charm on them.  Ron scowled, looking at his robes.

"How will they ever get washed, like this?" he asked.  Catrin laughed, and lobbed a snowball at him.  Harry threw one back.  It started an all out snowball war.  Ginny and Catrin built up a wall of defense while Hermione charmed snowballs to throw themselves at the guys.  They stopped when they were finally out of breath, rosy-cheeked and laughing.

"Well, that wasn't a total waste of time," Ginny said happily.  She looked radiant in the morning sun, and Catrin noticed Harry staring at her.  Hermione and Ron snorted knowingly.  After all, those two had had their share of romances; it was time for Harry to have one.

"Come on, let's get into Hogsmeade, Fred and George said they'd see us at Weasly's Wizardly Wheezes.  God, I have no idea how that place stays in business," Ron said.

"They're funny!" Catrin protested, Ron rolled his eyes.

"Not when you've been living with them all summer, and you've been turned into a canary, twice, and three different types of spider," Ron shuddered and everyone except Catrin laughed.  The humour of this topic eluded her, she knew nothing about Ron's fear of spiders.  Nobody had the intention of telling her.

They wandered through the village, the few centimeters of snow on the ground brushing away from their feet.

"I was thinking of getting a pet," Catrin said suddenly.  Ginny nodded.

"It's about time."

"We could go to the Emporium and get an owl, or a toad," Harry suggested.

Catrin shuddered.  "Hate owls.  Big, creepy, silent birds.  Ugh, feathers.  And toads.  Don't even get me started on toads," she shuddered again and Ginny laughed at her.

"You don't seem to have any problem with post owls," Ron commented.

Catrin shrugged.  "I don't have to touch them.  Generally, owning a pet means touching it once in a while."  She shuddered at the thought of petting an owl.

"A rat then?" Ron asked, as they opened the door to the emporium.

"Nope.  Ginny's got a rat."

"How about a cat?" asked Harry.

"Nope.  Hermione's got a cat.  Anyway, if we had a cat in my dorm it might eat Hoodwink."  Ron rolled his eyes and smiled, Hermione looked sheepish.

"Remember?  We thought Crookshanks _had_ eaten Scabbers, gee we were stupid," Harry said, voicing their silent truce.

Catrin noticed Professor Sprout in the shop as they were browsing and nudged Ginny.  They looked in the Professor's direction.

"…and I need something to repel those horrible little beasts that keep eating my mandrakes!"  They giggled, knowing exactly what the culprit was.  They had accidentally let out a group of Dugbogs into the Hogwarts grounds to try to kill off the Mandrakes.  Sprout had been far to possessive of them, she's even named the little squealers.

"A pet, a pet…" Ginny murmured as they walked along the isles of animals.  There were shiny, flashy black rats.  One dancing, another showing off its talent to disappear and reappear.  They heard screeching and howling, and Catrin thought she saw a chicken, but what would a chicken be doing in a magical animals shop?

Passing the guinea-pig page Catrin had a coughing fit.  Ginny held onto her and looked at her.

"You, are going back to Hogwarts," Ginny told Catrin.  Catrin shook her head while trying to clear her throat.  Ginny stood firm.  "You are sick.  To school or the Three Broomsticks.  I wanted to see Fred and George but I'll go back to school with you if you want," Ginny said.  Catrin sighed.  She _was_ sick.  She knew it.

"Fine.  I'll go to the Three Broomstick.  Meet me there?  I'll just wait.  Keep looking for a pet for me, as well," Catrin nodded to Harry, Ron and Hermione as she left the shop.

Catrin walked into the Three Broomsticks while Ginny and the others kept browsing Hogsmeade.  The warmth of the pub welcomed her, and she was happy to be out of the snow and cold.  Of course, she wouldn't have objected to a _bed_ right now, but Hogsmeade was in short supply of them on the streets.  Aside from being cold she had been literally sent here by Ginny; although she would have no objection to a nice hot butterbeer right now.  She sat down in a booth near the roaring fire and brushed snow off her robes and cloak.  She buried her head in her arms after thanking Madam Rosmerta for the butterbeer.

She heard someone sliding into the seat opposite from her.  Catrin tilted her head to the side and saw a glint of silvery hair, burying her head again.

"Bugger off Malfoy," she growled.  She heard the rustle of his robes as he started slightly, then the burning of his gaze on her head.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked, slightly surprised.

Catrin snorted.  "You give off evil vibes.  Where are the other two stooges?" she sat up properly and looked him in the eye.

Draco looked confused at her comparison to Crabbe and Goyle as 'stooges' but said nothing.  They glared at each other.

"What do you want?" Catrin asked as she took an angry sip (almost a swig) of butterbeer.  Draco cocked his head and looked at her.

"I don't know.  What do you think I want?  What do _you_ want?" he asked.  He drummed his fingers on the table and Catrin threw her head back into her arms.  "I get Potter.  I get those two poor Weaslys, I even get that mudblood, Grang —"

"Call Hermione a mudblood again and you'll have my wand down your throat," Catrin spat, interrupting.

"What I don't get, is you." Malfoy continued, as if he didn't hear her.  "You, are like a cat.  You don't know what you want, do you?  You could do much better that that crowd you hang around with, what, The Boy Who Sulks and his sidekick, the Weasel?" he said nastily.

Catrin scowled.  "Do you have to say something horrible _every_ time you open your trap?  That's horrible enough in itself, thank you very much!"  To her amazement, he laughed.

"You are a funny one, aren't you?" he asked, a handsome smile creasing his features.  Catrin took a good long look at him.  Despite the fact that he was a horrible git, he was, what some people would call, good looking.  She tried not to exercise her _own_ opinion on this.  There were girls practically lining up to go out with them, and he could flick them off with a single remark.  Seventh years, wanted to go out with him, and they were a year older than he was.  Of course, this happened to Harry sometimes too, but that was a lot less noticeable.  With Draco, his features stood out, and he was tall, so he stood out anyway.  Harry, who was destined to be small, didn't have Draco's height advantage.

Catrin scowled, and turned her head towards the door when she heard the bell above the door tinkling.  Ginny had finally come.  Catrin put her head back in her arms, and she heard Draco standing up as the rest of her company approached.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" asked Ron acidly.

"I was just finishing up, Weasly," Draco answered coldly.  His cloak swished as he left.

"What did he want?" Ginny asked, sliding into the booth next to Catrin.  Catrin lifted her head long enough to answer.

"You know what?  I don't know."

They left the Three Broomsticks after several butterbeers, and in Ron's case, a shot of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey.  Harry's shirt started squirming after the got out, and Ginny looked at him strangely.

"Harry.  Your shirt is… squirming," Catrin said, eyebrows raised.  Ron whacked Harry in the arm, and then—in an appallingly gay way—reached down the front of Harry's shirt to fish out a squirming ferret.

"Ron.  Don't do that.  Bad look.  Very slashy," Ginny said between peals of giggles.  Ron held out the ferret to Catrin.

"Early Christmas pressie from Fred and George, and us, of course," Catrin picked up the little thing and looked into its eyes.

"Isn't he adorable?" she crooned.  Ron looked skeptical.

"Not if it's bitten you.  How do you know it's a he?" Harry asked.  He was still recovering from the humiliation of having Ron shove a hand down his robes.

"I just know." Catrin replied, cradling the ferret.

Ginny snorted.  "Females don't have musk glands."

"And how would you know?  I bet he's been de-musked!" Catrin replied contrarily.

"Oh, sure.  De-musking is so…oh yeah.  We were taught to do that…"Ginny trailed off, mocking an abashed expression.  Catrin swiped at her and Ginny danced playfully out of the way.

Hermione was walking along, elbow resting on Ron's shoulder.  "Playful as young lambs in spring, those two," she mused.

Ron turned his head towards her and looked startled, "And since when have you been a fan of 'young lambs in spring?'"

Harry snorted when Hermione answered.  She looked flustered ad took her elbow off Ron's shoulder, "I don't know.  I've always wanted to say that," she crinkled up her nose, and Harry sighed.

The five of them walked abreast through Hogsmeade.  It really was a beautiful afternoon, and they stood for a while admiring the snow on the Christmas trees.

"And so it begins.  The coldest season of the year," Ginny started poetically.

"They'll be putting the trees up in the Great Hall soon, and the Yule is next weekend," Harry said softly.

"And hanging mistletoe everywhere…" Ron said, sighing and fluttering his eyelashes like a girl.  Hermione snorted and Catrin watched as Ginny and Harry continued to walk, dazy-eyed alongside them.

"Never going to realise _anything_ that way," Ron snorted quietly.

"Shut up Ronald Weasly, romance is a work of art," Hermione elbowed him, and they walked on in silence.  All of them watched the coming darkness as they walked up to the castle, none of them realising how significant that statement really was.

"…And they're off!" Lee Jordan's little brother—Jared—yelled.  It was the Quidditch that had been anticipated for half the year.  Gryffindor against Slytherin.  There was very little room for error, even less for loss.  The Gryffindors were ahead, because of their victory against Hufflepuff, but they Slytherins were known to play a hard game.  They played dirty, and didn't care about the penalties, because, more often than not, they were under their opponents skin so much that the fouls did little to alter the score.

Catrin shot into the air on her _Firebolt_, it was a good day for playing.  Not too cold, and not wet or snowing.  There was little much on the field, but a layer of snow would cushion falls…to some extent.  Her head had been fuzzy when she woke up, and she had promised Ginny and Harry that she wouldn't get into any trouble—on purpose.

She followed the Quaffle as Oliver and Henry gained the Quaffle, covering each other as they shot down the pitch to shoot…and SCORE!  Catrin let out a triumphant whoop and did a small loop-de-loop before following the Quaffle again.

This time a Slytherin chaser managed to get it.  She raced him down the pitch and hung below Gryffindor's keeper, Julie and caught the Quaffle that was thrown down to her.

She raced down the pitch, aware of the Gryffindor's and Jared's cheers and commentating.  Suddenly, she was thrown off the front of her broom.  She watched the Quaffle sail down towards the ground to be snatched up by the waiting Slytherin.  She hung on underneath the broom and turned around to see a smirking Slytherin holding onto the twigs of her broom.  He raced off as the Slytherins scored a goal, and she swung herself back into the broom.

Ginny sent a Bludger straight her way, and Catrin had murderous thoughts before slipping below the broom again.  The Bludger hit the Slytherin chaser full on in the face.  Ginny grinned at her and Catrin stuck her thumbs up, hanging upside down on the broom.

Catrin maneuvered the broom this way, racing just millimeters beneath one of the Slytherin Beaters, causing them to miss the opportunity to throw a Bludger at a Gryffindor.

"…Quinn blocks the Quaffle and it's taken by Fitzreinald and tossed over to Pascal.  Kismet's doing an interesting move there, hanging _under_ her broom.  And she's got it!  She has the Quaffle, and she's racing towards the goalposts…and she shoots…she SCORES!  Another goal for Gryffindor, and the Quaffle is off again and … oh no!  Another foul for Slytherin?  Such a pity, Weasly shoots a Bludger towards Malfoy, but he dodges is…and Potter has gone into a dive…"  Jared's words rung in Catrin's ears as she finally swung herself onto her broom, properly this time.

Ron was in the crowd, holding Catrin's ferret, properly dubbed Fidget, and he jumped up and cheered as Harry went into his dive.  Catrin's world spun, and she yelled something, a warning to Harry.  He pulled out of the dive quickly to see his Chaser falling off her broom.

"…and Malfoy is still racing towards the ground—hold on, is that the snitch?…" Harry heard Jared's cry and looked towards the goalposts, where, sure enough, the snitch was hovering.  Catrin was falling and falling, but Harry took the chance and raced towards the Snitch.  Ginny was racing towards Catrin, wand out, holding her aloft with a Wingardium Leviosa spell.  Madam Hooch was racing towards her as well, but Draco Malfoy was closest.

Malfoy shot straight up, and caught the falling Catrin in his waiting arms—just as Harry caught the snitch.

"She should be fine, she'll wake up soon.  I'm sure.  Don't worry," Madam Pomfrey assured the Gryffindor Quidditch team.  They were still all geared up and were standing beside Catrin's bed.

Catrin slept peacefully, and Ginny stood beside her, worried.  "I told her not to play, we _have_ reserves, but she just _had to play.  Stubborn mule," Ginny said, patting Catrin's head affectionately.  Fidget—who was strangely devoted to his owner, seeing as she had owned him for a while 24 hours—was curled up next to her.  Madam Pomfrey had almost thrown him out until he started whimpering like a baby.  She was now ushering people out._

"See you in the morning, kiddo," Harry said, referring to her by their practice name, and kissing her on the cheek "get well."

"You better be in potions tomorrow or I'll ask Snape to flunk you," Ginny warned, leaning down to give Catrin a half-hug.

Ron followed Harry's suit and kissed Catrin as well, "See-ya."  Was all he said, it was enough, he had been the second person to reach her on the pitch, after Malfoy of course.

"I'll bring all your homework," Hermione said, then she leaned down and whispered in Catrin's ear, "completed."

The rest of the Quidditch team filed out, saying their farewells.  They were hot and sweaty despite the cold weather, and needed to get their gear off.  Stragglers and cling-ons also filed out, and Catrin was left in peace; Fidget squirming under her chin.

"Don't wait up, I'll be there in a second," Ginny told Ron and Harry, when she spotted Malfoy skulking near the hospital ward.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, watchful of his little sister.

"Positive.  I'll meet you back there soon," she ushered them off and when they were well down the hall, turned to Malfoy.  "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what, Weasly?" Malfoy asked, looking at her lazily.

"Why did you catch her?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms and scowling at him.  "You could have just dodged out of the way, no one would have blamed you.  It would have been purely a Quidditch mistake.  So why did you catch her?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes.  "I could have dodged out of the way.  I just happened to be there, and it was get knocked over the head by a corpse or catch it.  Personally, I like to stay in one piece, Weasly.  What does it matter to you?"

"She's my best friend, that's what it matters to me."

A/N: The second chapter of my re-vamp.  Nope, no reviews, I'm hoping for some after I put this up.  I am working on my story, yes I am, maggots, but, due to my Chemistry and Biology summer assignments, I'm not moving as fast as I would like.  I make about forty pages of star-notes for one chapter.  It's a total pain in the arse.  I have also taken up swimming.  Okay, so I've been swimming more lately.  So blame the chapter-less-ness on me, not anybody else.  Yada yada yada… while you're waiting go read my Favourite Author's fics, they're all good.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

====================

Chapter Three

"Madam Pomfrey!  I'm _fine_!  I have to meet Professor Snape today in the dungeon!  You know how he is about tardiness!" Catrin got out of her original 'let me go' plead to a 'Professor Snape will kill me' plead.

Madam Pomfrey looked at Catrin with a shrewd eye.  "Fine!  Just for that time though, I want you straight back here if he doesn't come, or after the session!  No ifs, buts, or maybes about it!  I will not have you fainting into your potion and I have _never_ allowed a student to leave unless they were completely well!  So hear this: if you do _not_ come back, I will be forced to hunt you down, and that could be _very_ unpleasant, for the both of us!"

"Yes Madam Pomfrey," Catrin decided to go with the plan.  She got out of bed, but the moment her feet touched the floor, the world spun and she sat back down on the bed.

"Ha!  Not so well after all, are we Catrin?" Madam Pomfrey crowed happily.  She shoved a cup full of a disgusting smelling substance into Catrin's hand.  "Drink.  Or I won't let you go."

Catrin held her nose, and begun swallowing.

"Weasly, stay here, not you, this Weasly," Snape pointed to Ginny and dismissed Ron at the end of class.  All the students were filing out after a day of copying notes from Snape's chicken-scratching handwriting and his speedy-talking.

"Yes Professor?" Ginny asked.

Snape scowled.  "Miss. Kismet was meant to meet me this afternoon.  Assure her that she _will_ be here, and I will tolerate no tardiness.  Go," he waved his arm and Ginny walked out after thanking him.  Catrin had asked Snape for help?  Ginny scowled, and then took it off her face.  It didn't look good to be scowling at imaginary things, she would ask Catrin later.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey.  I understand, I'll just study until my appointment," Catrin said, happy to be out of the hospital ward.

"Not in the library, see here?  I don't want anybody _else_ getting sick and I don't want you getting sicker," Pomfrey scowled as she let Catrin go.

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey.  I promise, I'll go to a room that I sometimes study in," Catrin thanked the lady—she dreaded to think of what would happen to her if she referred to Pomfrey as a 'nurse'—and rushed out of the ward.

Walking along the cold halls reminded her of her potions appointment.  She was supposed to go back to the hospital ward to make sure she was okay afterwards, but she decided not to.  She was healthy enough, and missing Advanced Defense could drop her grade drastically.

She turned a few corners and found herself in what she like to think of as her 'private study room'.  It was a small room, with large windows, and it had these strange ledges jutting out of the stone walls, providing good seats.  Catrin's feet dangled above the floor if she sat on most of them.

She curled up with her Defense Against the Dark Arts book back against the sun-warmed window.  She was reading the chapter on werewolves, having heard so much about Remus Lupin, and not waiting for her class lessons on it.  Her mechanical watch beeped twice before the door creaked open, and Ginny's head popped through.

"Catrin, what are you doing here?" she asked, happily.  They exchanged a quick hug and Ginny sat down next to Catrin.

"I was studying before my meeting with Snape," Catrin said, stretching out and easing her stiff muscles.  She looked at her watch, "I've been here for nearly two hours now."

"Well, we just finished our last class.  Come on, your potions stuff is already there, I took it for you.  I'll walk you," Ginny stood up and offered an arm for Catrin.

"Thanks.  I can walk myself if you wanted to go do something, I think you might want to go into Hogsmeade soon, the Yule ball's this weekend.

"Yeah.  I'll think about it.  Not today, though.  Do you think Snape'll let me stay for your thing?" Ginny asked.  Catrin shook her head emphatically.  "Didn't think so."  They walked up to the door and Ginny left Catrin.  "I'll be in the common room if you want me," she said.

Catrin entered the dungeon before she could chicken out.  It was cold, and no trace of the warmth from the previous class lingered there.  She sat down by her cauldron and read the notes on the board from Snape.

_Miss Kismet,_

I shall be late to our meeting, please copy out the instructions on page 477 and brew the following potion.  (I have altered it slightly to make it less potent and more effective.)

_counter-poison: arsenic_

_Mandrake root_

_Arsenic (pure elemental form)_

_Cately essence_

_Warring roots—shredded finely_

_Aardvark bile_

_Deui le Roi_

_All the ingredients can be found in the small store cupboard in my room.  It has been left unlocked for this purpose.  Do not take anything other than what is required._

_            Professor Severus Snape_

Catrin took out her book and flipped to the page, pulling her cape closer around her.  She read through the instructions and carefully took the required amount of each ingredient from Snape's cupboard.  Everything was neatly arranged, alphabetically, and labeled.  She sent a heat charm to the furthest corner of the room and lit up a small fire beneath her cauldron.

She was halfway through the potion when the door creaked and someone walked in.  She knew who it was immediately; she didn't even need to look.  "Bugger off Malfoy."

"I thought you'd be in here," he said, ignoring her request.

"Did Snape send you to meet me?" she asked, acidly.

"No.  I overheard your conversation.  It's like an oven in here," he replied.

Catrin sniffed, her nose was blocked and she was cold, "I was cold."

"Well, you don't look cold now.  You look sick," he replied, sitting down across the isle from her.

"I just got out of the hospital ward, what makes you think I'm sick?" Catrin asked, her words slightly slurred.

"That," Malfoy replied, stretching out his long legs.

Catrin stood up to add the aardvark bile.  Her head spun and the floor rocked and rolled.  She shook her head and went to get a little more of the mandrake root from Snape's cupboard.  The potion wasn't the colour it was mean to be, and she thought she hadn't added enough Mandrake root.

The strong scent of the cupboard put an edge on her fuzzy mind.  She walked drunkenly back to the cauldron, dropping in the Mandrake root.

"There's a brew in the cupboard that would take your headache away, at least for an hour," Malfoy suggested, leaning back on his chair.  "Willowbark."

"I am _not_ taking anything from Snape's cupboard.  I _will_ not!" she exclaimed.  They sat in silence—in no way companionable silence—as the potion finished brewing.  Catrin got up and ladled it into a small vial, plugging the top with a cork.  She dragged the rest of the potion over to the side of the room, where she let it sit.  Professor Snape often wanted to look at their potions other than what was left for him.  Catrin scribbled a note on a piece of parchment and, after packing everything up, walked up to the table and left it and the vial there.  As she walked back her world spun again, and this time Draco made it to the roof.  She twisted her head sideways, in time to hear Draco's quiet remark of "that was graceful."

She turned her head back up the right way, and wobbled on the spot.  She knew what was happening, but she refused to let it happen.  Just as she fell, she whispered, "catch me…"

Draco jumped and caught Catrin as she fainted backwards.  He scooped her up in both arms—she was surprisingly light—and carried her outside.  _Silly thing_, he though softly, as her head tucked in against his chest.  He walked up the few stairwells and down the halls to the hospital ward.  He observed her in her sleep.  She was softer, when she slept, less lethal, less likely to bit off your head.  He noticed that she wore no makeup, unlike many of the girls at Hogwarts, and, for the first time, really saw how radiant her hair was.  It had three main colours, dark brown, copper and a lighter brown.  In between all of this there were scatterings of blonde, apricot and red.  It was actually a charm gone awry, but he didn't know that, and presumed it to be her natural colour.  As he turned onto the hall that the hospital ward was on he bumped into—literally—a Weasly.  Two Weaslys, a Potter and a Granger to be exact.

"What are you doing here?" Ron snarled, holding Fidget in his arms.

"Is that…Is that Catrin?" Ginny asked.  The ferret crawled over Ron and Ginny to drop at Draco's feet, whining and reaching up his leg.

"Why are you holding Catrin?" Harry asked, more surprised than annoyed—for the moment.

"She fainted in Snape's dungeon.  I was walking by and picked her up, is it your problem?" he replied.  Ron snarled.

"We can take her the hospital ward now," he said.  Hermione, who had been strangely silent the whole time, got out her wand, ready to cast a spell.

"Never mind.  The door is only up the hall.  I'm quite sure I can manage, and the faster she gets there, the better, get it?" Draco said, pushing his way through the crowd.  Ron rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, about to make a sarcastic remark.  He shut up at Hermione's look and they trailed Draco to the hospital ward.

No one though to pick up Fidget, and after the little ferret and snarled, he followed them, scampering in the rolling way that always made them laugh so much.

"I told her to come back.  Thank goodness that Mr. Malfoy took her here as soon as he could.  The fever can be cured quickly, but if she had left it too long it might have become pneumonia, or worse.  Fifteen points for Slytherin," Madam Pomfrey announced, tucking her charge into the bed.  She had been as protective as a hen, _tsk tsk_-ing when Malfoy brought Catrin in.

"Thankyou, Madam Pomfrey," Malfoy said, before leaving the room.

Ginny sat on the end of the bed, stroking an annoyed Fidget.

Harry Ron and Hermione were standing around.  Ron ran his hands through his hair in a gesture that looked much like Charlie's.  "I cannot believe that that two-faced weasel actually brought her here, there's something under this," he scowled.

Harry sighed, "Yeah, well we can't do anything about it, can we?"

"None of that talk here, thank you.  Now, out.  My patient needs rest, you can come back tonight," Madam Pomfrey shooed them out of the room.  Everyone, including Fidget, looked sad.

"Old hen," said Hermione quietly.

Fidget poked his tongue out at the receding back.

Catrin's eyes fluttered open and she saw a pointed face leering over her.  "Fidget!" she exclaimed, scratching the ferret under the chin when she managed to get her hand out of the blankets in the bed.  She took a look around, she was back in the infirmary, and it felt like Madam Pomfrey had _tied_ her to the bed using the blankets.  She struggled out of them and up onto the pile of pillows.

"Catrin, how are you?" Ginny's face was one of utter concern for her friend.  Catrin smiled at Ginny and looked around.  Harry, Ron and Hermione were here.  She hadn't expected that.  She counted them as friends, as they had been spending so much time together, but her standing in their minds was a mystery.

"You feeling better, kid?" Harry asked.  Catrin smiled.  She should have known that last nights display of friendship was more than just teammate concern.

"Yeah.  I'm still spinning, but I think I'll live," she smiled shakily, and Ginny laughed.  Catrin petted Fidget, holding him close.

"You want to know who brought you up here?" Ron asked mischievously.  Catrin scowled.

"I already know.  Malfoy."

"Did Madam Pomfrey tell you?" asked Hermione.

Catrin shook her head.  "He came into the dungeon to bug me about something.  I just managed to faint when I was there.  I remember being picked up," she replied.  She didn't mention whispering 'catch me' to Draco as she fell.

"The little—" Ron started.

Hermione cut him off.  "Don't worry.  It's not worth fighting over.  Anyway, we'd better go, Mcgonagall wants to talk to us about something."  Catrin nodded, drowsiness had already taken her.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" she asked, yawning.

Ginny kissed her on the cheek and Harry tousled her hair.  "Of course."

Catrin lay with her back to the wall, eyes closed.  After her friends had left she had slept for a few hours, until waking up starving.  Fidget, who had been banned from the ward, had somehow snuck back in, and Madam Pomfrey had made no move to oust him as she served Catrin her dinner.  She was bored, the lights were out and she had nothing to do other than dwell on her thoughts.  For a while she had thought about the potion she brewed, wondering if Snape would like it.  Then she had considered her relationships with Harry, Ron and Hermione.  It seemed…more than friendly, like an almost brotherly love.  Almost.  She knew something was going on between Harry and Ginny, she just didn't know what.

The door to the infirmary opened and Catrin snapped here eyes shut and relaxed, hoping it wasn't Madam Pomfrey come to make sure she was asleep.  The curtain around her bed rustled and she regulated her breathing, trying to slow her heartbeat.  Whoever it was it wasn't Pomfrey.  Their step was light as a cat's, and she heard the rustle of cloth.  A rough knuckle grazed her temple, and fine soft hair flopped over her face as someone bent to kiss her cheek.  Catrin tried desperately to still her heart, trying to save embarrassment—her's or the stranger's she didn't know.  She heard the rustle of clothes, and her curtain opened and closed, and the person was gone.

Catrin lay awake for a while, just thinking.  Then, as the moon slowly set outside her window, she slipped into sleep.

It was early afternoon when Catrin finally woke up.  She heard Hagrid's booming voice talking to Madam Pomfrey.

"I don' know how he did it.  Be'n so careful an' the likes with him.  Since I managed to get a grant to keep a dragon finally, the silly littl' bugger's been onto me.  He's bitten' me twice today!"

"Calm down, Reubus!" Madam pomfrey scolded.

"Why?  There's no one in here," Hagrid replied.

"Miss Kismet's been taken sick.  Almost turned into pneumonia, and she needs her sleep!"

Catrin listened, straining to hear any sound.  Hagrid had been immensely pleased when he had finally wheedled the Ministry down enough to get a dragon.  He'd seen Norbert recently in Romania, when he went to talk to Charlie about what type of dragon to get, and Charlie had had a hard time convincing him not to get another Ridgeback.  Hagrid had finally agreed to get an opaleye, one of the prettiest dragons, mainly because Dumbledore didn't want something that was inclined to eat the students.

Hagrid pulled the curtain back and looked at her.  "Didn' think you were asleep," he said, smiling.

Catrin grinned, "How's the dragon?" she asked.  The egg had only hatched a few days ago and Hagrid still hadn't named it.

"Fine.  He got me a good one on the nose the other day," Hagrid indicated to the bandage on his nose, and Catrin laughed.  "I got some good news for yeh, too.  Dumbledore's organisin' for some students to go on camp o' sorts.  It's a combination of Astronomy, Herbology, Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, so I got to choose some students.  We have abou' a dozen people going, and you're one of them.  Harry and Ron and Hermione and Ginny go' told yesterday by McGonagall but I'm sure you didn' know.

"Nope.  Ginny hasn't been by today so they didn't tell me yet.  It'll be great to go, how are we getting there though?  If it's to do with all of those subjects I'm sure that the Hogwarts Express can't get us there…"

"Tha's the greatest part abou' it!  You have the choice of riding Winged Horses or Hippogriff's there!  I'll be takin' yeh all to base camp, and then I'll leave you there.  They have an arsenal o' teachers there," Hagrid said gleefully.

"That's great!  Hey, my uncle breeds winged horses…do you know him?  Emery Kismet?" Catrin asked. 

Hagrid nodded.  "That's who we're getting' the horses from, Mr. Kismet's also going to be teachin' there, or so 'e said in the letter."

"Thanks Hagrid.  If McGonagall asks, I'll be sure not to tell her you told me already!" Catrin replied as he stood up to leave.  "Could you send up some of your rock toffee as well?  I need some of that."  Hagrid smiled at her request, Catrin was one of the few people who _liked_ his rock toffee.

"Sure.  I'll see yeh soon," Hagrid smiled and walked out.  Madam Pomfrey walked in.

"Well.  I'm sure you're proud of yourself.  Fainting, 'I don't faint…'"

"Well, I don't normally, the classroom was just…hotter than normal," Catrin said defiantly.

Madam Pomfrey snorted.  "Of course it was, what with the heat charms that you had in there.  Professor Snape also wants to know if you added anything extra to the potion, as it worked particularly well, and if there were any conditions that he should know about."

"Uh-huh.  Let's see.  Add about half a gallon of sweat, some pneumonia bacteria, heat the room to 50º C, and brew while near death," Catrin said sardonically.  Madam Pomfrey bustled out of the room, to let afternoon sunshine stream in through the opened curtains.

"Well.  You are in a foul mood.  You can have visitors during lunch, and…oh, for goodness' sake!  Don't.  Get.  Sick," Pomfrey accentuated her words at an unknown visitor.

"Hi Catrin," Colin Creevey walked over to her bed.  Catrin indicated to one of the many chairs surrounding her bed.

"Take a seat."

Colin sat down.  "I wanted to see how you were going, and all.  You know, word got around pretty fast that you were sick."  Catrin nodded.  Colin was one of the Quidditch reserves anyway, she didn't think much of this visit.

"I expected it to.  Without the gossip that goes through here, the walls would cave in," Colin laughed at her joke.

"It seems that way," Colin wrung his hands nervously.  Catrin didn't really know why he was here, they weren't particularly good friends… but it seemed that Colin wanted to say something.  "Were you going to the Yule on Saturday night?" Colin asked suddenly.

Catrin thought about it for a moment.  "No.  If I'm well enough to be let out of here, I'll have plenty of catch-up to do, and I need to see McGonagall before Christmas break as well…"

"Oh," Colin said, looking depressed.  He had dirty blonde hair the flopped over his face all the time, and twinkling blue eyes.  Many third- and fourth-years had crushes on him.  Catrin didn't really think much of him.  _Maybe I'm just really fussy,_ she scowled to herself, after thinking about Colin's looks.  "So, if someone asked would you go with them?"

Colin snapped Catrin out of her reverie.  "Yeah, sure.  Probably.  Why not?  I could always get Hermione to help with my homework—"

"So, do you want to go with me?" Colin asked.  Catrin closed her eyes and tried not to make any sudden movements.  _Delicate situation_, she thought, _do not screw it up_.  She looked Colin over again.  He didn't look…bad, just not her type…no one was her type.

"I guess.  I'll have to ask Madam Pomfrey if I can go…hey, you didn't come by last night by any chance did you?" Catrin asked, remembering her midnight visitor.

Colin shook his head, confused.  "Nope.  But, it's great that you're coming.  I'll see you round!" He stood up just as the door to the ward opened, and Ginny walked in, trailed by Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Well, aren't I popular," Catrin said, grinning in spite of herself.  Ginny scowled.

"Snape interrogated me for an hour, and _hour_ stuck with Snape in a freezing dungeon, before he got the hint that I wasn't helping you with your stupid counter-poison and neither was Hermione!" she growled.

"Don't worry.  Ginny's just pissed because Neville asked her to the Yule, again," Ron said, ruffling Ginny's hair.  Harry blushed.

"Why did Neville ask her again?  Surely he doesn't have a crush on her…" Catrin taunted.  It was common knowledge that Neville Longbottom had a crush on Ginny after last year when he had tipped over three statues when Ginny hugged him for taking her to the Yule ball.  It wasn't that Neville was ugly, it was more that he was…not the ideal person for a boyfriend.  "So, what did you say?"

"I told him that I couldn't go with him." Ginny replied evasively.

"Why not?" Catrin said.  Ron and Hermione were in fits of giggles.  Hermione was clinging to her chair in trying not to laugh, Ron was holding onto Hermione's arm to stop himself falling over.  Harry was blushing, again.

"Because I'm already going with someone," Ginny said, again.  She was beginning to blush as red as her hair, her blue eyes looked down.

"With who?"

"Whom," Ginny told Catrin.

"Who, whom, it's all the same thing.  Who asked you?" Catrin replied.

"They didn't ask me," Ginny replied, blushing, if possible, even redder.

Catrin sighed loudly.  This was like squeezing blood out of a stone, "Come on, tell."

"Why?"  Ginny asked.  Harry was blushing as well, and there was a knock on the wall.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Sure, come on Professor.  You might have avoided it for now, Gin, but you are _so_ not off the hook," Catrin told her.  She turned to the professor.  "Yes Professor?"

"Miss Kismet.  I wanted to inform you about an out-of –school activity you will be participating for the next two months.  Professor Dumbledore and many other headmasters have arranged a camp of sorts.  You will be spending the next two months of school—almost all your time—at this camp.  I suggest as soon as you get out of the hospital you start packing.  The Headmaster and I will inform you—and your peers—" McGonagall peered around at the rest of the people in the room "about the informational issues of the camp.  There will be several meetings over the next few weeks before you leave, and messages have been sent home to your parents in case they need to contact you.  I expect you in Professor Dumbledore's office first thing Sunday morning.  Thankyou for you time, and I wish you a speedy recovery," McGonagall was prefessional as usual, and walked out.

"Thanks Professor!" yelled Catrin from behind her.

"We'd better go.  Madam Pomfrey will be after our blood," Harry said.  Waving they left, Catrin scowled at Ginny's evasion of who she was going to the Yule with, but she knew anyway.

"I know those two just couldn't keep their hands off each other," she scowled, as Madam Pomfrey waddled in with a vile smelling brew.

"Drink it," she warned, at Catrin's first balk of the thing.  Catrin held her nose, and downed mouthful after mouthful of the disgusting liquid.

Catrin, despite her own better judgment this time, was packing up her stuff to leave the hospital ward.  Madam Pomfrey had told her that she was fine, and as much as she believed it, Catrin did not want to be carried back to the Hospital Ward after fainting again.

The door to the ward opened, and a pretty looking girl with straight black hair and a distinctive sneer on her face walked into the room.  She narrowed her eyes when she saw Catrin packing up.

"Dana," Catrin said, through clenched teeth.  The girl smirked.

"Catrin.  I heard you were sick, and getting that…Granger to do your homework for you.  I wouldn't have come except Professor McGonagall asked me to come and tell you that you have a meeting in Dumbledore's office, and I'm to take you there," Dana Reiwald looked slightly irritated.

"Did the Professor tell you what the meeting was about?" Catrin asked, putting the last of her books in her bag.

"About the…camp."

"And I presume you weren't invited?" Catrin immediately knew what this was about.  Dana was smart—very smart, but not smart enough to compete with Ginny or Hermione.  She had tried to get into the Advanced Potions class, and had succeeded, but when Dumbledore pushed Ginny and Catrin up to Snape's 6th year class, she was furious.  She had battled with the teachers for ages trying to get them to let her go up.  The camp, Catrin had heard from Ginny the previous night, was only open to 6th years and up.  They had only managed to get in because they were taking a 6th year class of the requirement.

"Just because your parents managed to squeeze you into the advanced classes doesn't mean you're any better than me.  I'm just waiting to see how long those it will take those classes to make you pop." Dana spat out.

"I know my own way to Dumbledore's office, thank you Dana," Catrin walked out of the infirmary and turned back to Dana, who was walking in the opposite direction.  Dana's other great weakness was her everlasting battle to get Harry to notice her, she wanted to go out with him, and not because he was good looking.  "And don't think you have a hope in hell of going out with Harry," she yelled back to her, Dana turned toward Catrin and scowled, "The Boy who Lived would never go out with The Girl who—Hello Professor."

Dana scowled and hurried off in the other direction, Catrin smiled at that, and replied to Professor Sinistra's questions about her health.

A/N:  Well?  Did you like it?  You bloody well better have.  I worked my butt of for this chapter.  I've had it done for a while, but I was just too lazy to upload it, as well FF.net has been all screwy.  So review, all of it.  Next chapter: more fluff (not literally), we meet Catrin's wonderful uncle, our plot thickens, we have fun playing with emotions and Divination books, and possibly a wonderfully insightful trip to the Gryffindor bathrooms.  If you're lucky.  _If_ and _lucky_ being the operative words there.  But, unfortunately, another two chapters until you get a ball, yes, maggots, I love you, but you will have to wait.

Have fun while I'm gone!

Read something good and worthwhile!

Ta

Matrices


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

====================

Chapter Four 

Catrin looked belligerently at the stone gargoyle that hid the passageway to Dumbledore's office.  "Do you really want me to go through all this again," she asked the gargoyle.  She and Ginny had had an interesting encounter with this gargoyle during their third year, and had ended up tickling it until it let them into Dumbledore's office.  Catrin knew that it recognised her, from the way it twitched when she mentioned tickling.  She reached for the gargoyle's ribs, but it jumped aside before she could get to it.  "Thank you."

She walked up the stairs to Dumbledore's office, looking around.  There was so much to see whenever she came here, and everything seemed to have changed whenever she came.  Of course, she had only been there a few times, so she didn't really think it was enough to base a theory on.  When she walked into the circular room that was Dumbledore's office, she stumbled upon a meeting.

"Miss Kismet, please, sit down, sit down," Dumbledore indicated her to the only empty seat, one next to Draco Malfoy.  He was draped across his seat and the spare, his arm resting on the back of the empty chair.  Catrin sat down, she managed to place herself next to Ginny on one side, the devil on the other.

"Now.  We were just beginning our meeting about the camp that everybody in this room shall be attending in a few weeks.  I want you all to know, that at this camp there will be many responsibilities, most of them will be similar to what we uphold as our standards here at Hogwarts, but I believe that there will be some that are not anywhere in the Hogwarts curriculum," Dumbledore smiled over his half-moon spectacles, and continued talking.  "Now, first matters first.  I believe that all of you have been informed of the transport you are to be taking to your camp.  Of course, with the wide range of creatures that we can ride, we have narrowed your selection down to two.  You will be riding either Winged horses, generously supplied by Emery Kismet, or Hippogriffs, supplied by Hagrid, there.  Now, who is in favour of riding Hippogriffs?"

Four hands raised, Catrin's included.  Hippogriffs might not have been the most favourable mode of transport, but Catrin liked them.  She looked around to see who else was present.

There was Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny on her left.  To the far left sat Ernie MacMillan and another two Hufflepuffs who Catrin did not know.  On her right sat Draco, and two other smirking Slytherins, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson and Dominic Roucght.  Furthest two her right were two Ravenclaws, Amanda Clearwater, Penelope's sister and equal when it came to brains, and Cho Chang.  That made thirteen in all, and Catrin could see that the Hippogriff side had just lost.

"Well then, since we all seem to want winged horses so much, I will contact Emery now.  Minerva?  Will you continue to tell our students what will be expected of them?" Dumbledore turned to McGonagall who had been sitting behind them.

"Certainly Headmaster."  Professor McGonagall turned to the group.  "You are Hogwart's elite.  You have been chosen out of the hundreds at this school to represent us in an international camp.  You are expected to be on your best behaviour, and this means for the duration of the camp, not just for the first few days…"  Catrin zoned out McGonagall's voice as she sat there, horribly aware of Draco's arm that was almost around her.

Next to Catrin, Ginny had zoned out too.  She was thinking of the Yule ball.  Blue robes…maybe green…but she would definitely need to get something new.

She was actually rather happy with her family's financial status since her father's promotion.  He was now deputy-Head of the Ministry of Magic…and he earned quite a bit.  Fudge had seen to it that he got his promotion, after fighting through thick and thin to clean up the mess the MoM had made last year, and in fourth year.  Voldemort was very much a threat, and Cornelius saying that it was preposterous almost had him ousted from the position.

It was nice to be rich, or at least well off, for once.  Ginny knew that she would never forget getting hand-me-downs for most of her life, but she could sure as hell try, and if she didn't have any appropriate dress robes for the Yule, she would drag Catrin to Hogsmeade to help her pick out more.

Ginny snapped back to reality quickly, before anyone had a chance to rat on her.

"Mr. Kismet, we're delighted to have you here.  Shall we make an appointment for us to meet you at your stables," Dumbledore said.  Ginny looked over at Catrin, who clearly recognised the man.  "Allow me to introduce the students you will be teaching during the camp.  From left to right, Cho Chang and Amanda Clearwater, our two Ravenclaws.  Then we have Dominic Roucght, Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy, all Slytherins.  Catrin I'm sure you know," Catrin nodded at her uncle, "but further on we have Virginia Weasly, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasly and Hermione Granger, all Gryffindors.  Last, but most certainly not least, we have Ernie Mac Millan, Robert Trump and Coco Fidalies, our Hufflepuffs."

Everybody nodded politely at the tall man standing in front of them.

"I'm pleased to meet you all.  Now, when would be a good time for everybody to come to my stables?  It is absolutely necessary that we find the right mount for each person, as incorrect pairings can have…disastrous effects," Emery Kismet smiled, flashing white teeth.  Catrin smiled at his generosity.  She had been to his stable a few times, and it was huge, but he still managed to remember every horse in the stable.

Dumbledore and Emery started making arrangements, and soon the meeting was over.  Catrin yawned, tiredly, and stood up when Ginny offered and arm to pull her up.

"Feeling better kitty-cat?" Ginny asked in a mocking tone.

Catrin bantered with her, "Sure thing Fa— Mr. Kismet, what a surprise!"

Emery Kismet was standing in front of Ginny and Catrin.  "Hello Catrin, Virginia was it?"

"Call me Ginny," Ginny replied, shaking his hand.  She looked around for Harry, Ron and Hermione but they were talking to Professor McGonagall.

"Fine then, Ginny.  I hope you don't mind if I steal my niece for a second?" Emery smiled and Ginny relented.

"Sure, I don't need her anyway," Ginny grinned when Catrin's uncle laughed.

"That's what we said when she was born," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Hey, the person you're talking about is right here, excuse me," Catrin said.

"Sorry, Catrin.  See you round," Ginny walked over to where Ron and Harry seemed to be arguing playfully.

"Catrin, I'm sorry to drag you away from your friends like this, but I was wondering if you had heard from your mother lately," Emery was Catrin's mother's brother, and was very close to her, despite practically being her emotional and relative counterpart.

"No.  We never really communicate much during the school year, although, come to think of it, they've been…unusually quiet," Catrin said.  Emery sighed.

"Both of them?  Your father as well?"

Catrin nodded.  She knew that her father wasn't the most liked people by Emery, but he was still a compassionate man, and worried about everything.

"This is bad, you know that."

"I do…I just realised, they would have contacted me while I was sick…just to, oh you know what they're like.  They like to remind me what is appropriate in 'society', these days, God, I am totally sick of their bullshii—"

"Enough, Catrin.  I'll try to contact them, see if they want to meet with me for, coffee or something.  God knows they need to relax.  Can you ask the Weasly boy to help you ask the ministry?" Emery asked.  Catrin nodded.  Emery patted her on the head.  "Good girl, now, I'll see you next week."  He hugged her goodbye and walked back to Dumbledore.

Catrin wandered over to where Ginny was talking with Ron.  She listened to their conversation, laughing at their total lack of consideration for one another.

"And you, are a total PRICK!" Ginny told her brother.

Ron scowled back at her, "Virginia Weasly, respect your elders!"

"Shut it, both of you," Hermione told them.  Catrin dragged Ginny one way while Harry dragged Ron the other.

"Slimeball.  What did Mr. Kismet want to talk to you about?" asked Ginny.

"Oh, the usual.  You know, not hearing from your parents in almost a month, and neither has he, strange suspicions of dark magic at our house, wishing that they get taken by the Dark Lord so I don't have to deal with them any longer…like I said, the usual."

Ginny laughed.  "Come on, let's go to Potions."

Potions passed somewhat like a dream for Catrin.  Catrin was preparing to sneak out the door at the end of the class so she could go and study, but Snape stopped her first.

"Miss Kismet, could I see you for a moment?" he asked, surprisingly polite.  Catrin turned around and Ginny mouthed that she would wait outside.

"Sure Professor, what did you want?" asked Catrin.  Catrin's palms began sweating.

"Miss Kismet.  I am sure you know that I talked to Virginia Weasly about the potion you brewed the other night.  She was under the impression that you were alone, were you?" he asked, smiling in a sinister way.

"I didn't have anyone helping me, if that's what you mean," Catrin replied cautiously.

"I understand that.  Unfortunately, some other potion ingredients seem to be missing from my store cupboard, and, unless you took them, I know of nobody else who was in here.  Unless there was someone with you, to justify that you took nothing…that I suppose you would be in serious trouble."

That was what this was all about, thought Catrin, missing ingredients.  "Well, Professor, Draco Malfoy stopped by…while I was making the potion.  I'm sure he could insure that I didn't take anything."

"Wonderful, but what about the person I sent to watch you?" Snape asked, glaring.  His eyes looked sinister, and his hooked nose made him look like…a snake.

"They never came, sir."  Catrin replied, feeling that the use of extra formality would be better.

"Ah.  Now, I shall have a word with him.  Miss Kismet, did you put anything other than the specified ingredients in your potion?" he asked.

Catrin shook her head emphatically.  "No, Professor."

"I see.  On the test subject, it worked surprisingly well.  Were there any extra conditions that you applied to your potion that weren't listed in the book?"  One eyebrow was raised, and Catrin had a sinking sensation in her stomach, this was going to be bad.

"I'm sure you heard, Professor, that I spent a few days in the Infirmary after making that potions.  Really, the only other conditions that I applied to it were heat and…nothing else."

"Thank you, Miss Kismet.  You may go." Snape sat down at his desk and rubbed his temple with his hands.  As Catrin started walking out the door, she stopped.

"Professor?"

"What?" he replied.

"I may have added a touch too much Mandrake…it looked too," Catrin strained to remember her reasons for adding more mandrake earlier that week, "green."  She fled.

"You know, Catrin, that the potion was probably _meant_ to look green at that stage," Ginny told Catrin that evening while they were studying in their room.

"I know, I couldn't think of anything else to say.  I can't even _remember_ why originally I added more…" Catrin chewed on her lip as she figured out another Arithmancy problem.  "This sucks.  I formally suck at Arithmancy."

"You know, this is a lot like Algebra," Ginny said.  Catrin looked up.

"I never said I was good at Algebra."

"Hermione is, come on, let's go nag her to help us," Ginny got up and grabbed a few of her books.  Catrin did the same, grabbing Fidget from his lookout spot on top of the hangings.

The walked into the common room to find Harry, Hermione and Ron in the middle of a heated argument.

"Weren't you even _listening_ to Professor Binns today?" Hermione asked.

"Nobody ever does," Ron said under his breath, Hermione pretended not to hear him.

"JRR Tolkein was the only Muggle ever to find out about the Wizarding world, write a book about it and _not_ have his memory obliviated!  He just changed facts when he wrote Lord of the Rings and made it more believable!"

"What about Eoin Colfer?" Harry asked, annoyed.

"He was a SQUIB!" Hermione yelled back.  At second glance, Harry and Ron were really just standing on one side, Ron listening to the two of them argue, and Harry actually yelling back.

"I hate to interrupt your little lover's spat, but we do have a paper to write.  Harry, let's let Hermione write the paper on Tolkein, then we can put all our names on it," Ron said, acting as a mediator.

"Oh, sure," Hermione rolled her eyes, "how about _you_ two write the paper and _I_ put my name on it!"

"Catrin," Ginny said in a loud stage whisper, "I think we came to the wrong place.  This looks like a re-run of the Three Stooges."

Hermione burst out laughing, but Harry looked annoyed.

"What did you call me?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

Ginny stood up as tall as she could, (which was about as tall as Harry) and raised her own eyebrows, "I called you a stooge."

Harry jumped on her, knocking her backwards into a chair.  "Take it back!  Take it back!" he yelled, tickling her mercilessly.  Ginny laughed and laughed and shrieked that she 'would not if it were a matter of life and death.'

Catrin walked over to Hermione and Ron, who were both in fits of giggles.  "Ginny asked Harry to the Yule, didn't she?"

Ron nodded, and Catrin joined them laughing.

When Harry finally gave up tickling Ginny, Catrin whisked Ginny away to 'help' with her potions homework.  Ron and Hermione took it as their duty to interrogate Harry.

"Harry, you do realise that if you break Ginny's hear there will be at least six people out to get you, if you count Fred and George as separate people," Ron told his best friend.

"Oh, sure, say that about Ginny.  I hate this, I have no siblings, nobody can make death threats to my girlfriends," Harry complained, avoiding the subject.

"Harry, that is utterly stupid.  Firstly, you _don't_ threaten girls about breaking your brother's heart, at least, if you're a guy you don't.  Secondly, practically half the girls at Hogwarts would defend you.  I bet that every time Ginny goes into a bathroom at least one girl will say 'If you break Harry's heart I will hunt you down and rip you limb from limb' to her, geez, they say it enough to me," Hermione said.

"Really?" Ron asked, interested, "They threaten you about breaking Harry's heart?"

"All the time."

"Do you two want to know what I honestly think?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione.

"What?" asked Ron, at the same moment Hermione said "Not really."

"Your both nutters, that what I think," Harry told them firmly.

Ron started laughing, "Now he's thinking, my sister must be getting to his brain."  Hermione tried not to laugh, but this unsuccessfully made her laugh more.

Harry threw his Divination book at them.

Catrin slipped out of the common room after dinner that evening.  She had told Ginny she was going to study, and Ginny knew where to find her if she needed her, but sometimes, Catrin relished being alone.  She made her way through the halls and over stairways, careful to skip the trick steps and jump the places in the floor that like to catch an unwary student by the ankle and send them reeling.  It was so much fun, running around the school missing these things.

Her first year she and Ginny had staged races on some of the trickier stair-cases and stickier floors.  They would race up and down, dodging one way or the other, bumping into each other until ultimately they were both stuck, had been stopped by a teacher or had collapsed, giggling and exhausted.

Catrin skipped to the side to avoid a sinking stone as she remembered these things.  It was then that they had found their rooms.

It was, really, purely by accident.  Catrin had stumbled across the sunlit room one day when hiding from Ginny.  Unfortunately, after searching and giving up, Ginny decided to hide from her and found another room.  Upon returning to the common room and talking about it, they realized that with the shifting of the castle, they were really in the same place, just at different times and in different shifts.  It was the same room Catrin had studied in when she was sick, but now there was little sunlight and candles were floating around the room.  Sometimes, Catrin thought, it is good to be alone.

She was struggling with a particularly hard arithmancy problem when the door to the room creaked open.  She looked up, and scowled even more.

"Hello Kismet," Draco Malfoy said, pleased with himself.

"Ron, have you seen Catrin?  I was meant to meet her back here, but she's not in our dorm," Ginny asked her brother, who was working with Hermione and Harry on their essay.

"Nope.  She hasn't come in," Ron said, getting back to reading through Hermione's notes.

"Oh, I know where she'll be then.  I'll be back soon," Ginny slipped out of the portrait hole and made her way to where she suspected Catrin would be studying.

Catrin met her half way there.  "Sorry I'm late Gin, I didn't mean to be.  Bloody Malfoy came and decided to bother me about potions."

Ginny looked sideways at her friend, "He's been bothering you a lot lately, then?" she asked.

Catrin rolled he eyes.  "He seems to be there every time I'm in a bad mood."

"And you were in a bad mood today because of…" Ginny let the sentence hang.

"Arithmancy," Catrin supplied, "bottlebrush" she told the Fat Lady, and walked through the portrait hole.  Ginny waved to Ron and Hermione (Harry had disappeared) and walked with Ginny up to their room.  "Ah, and which aspect of Arithmancy?"

"Everything," growled Catrin.

"Really?" Ginny raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Yeah, and when _he_ got there, nothing got done, coming to the bathroom?" she asked Ginny.  Both girls grabbed their towels, pyjamas and toothbrushes, making their way to the Fourth-Fifth-Year-Girls' bathrooms.

The bathroom was a modest affair, with blue tiled walls and several different rooms.  There was one room that had baths in it (each bath was separated by a small partition, like a cubical).  Each bath had several taps that emitted different scented and acting bubbles.  Catrin's favourite were the ones that smelt like strawberries and cream and left foam on top of the water, while Ginny liked the bouncy grape ones.

The main room had toilet cubicals and a long line of sinks in it.  During lunch and when people had free periods this room would be full of bustling girls all hurrying to get their makeup done, charm their bracelets or fix their hair while polluting everyone else's lungs while they were at it.  (While there was a hair holding charm, it was a little more effort than most people wanted to put into their hair if they only needed it to stay for the next few hours.  Besides, the charm stayed for at least twenty-four hours, so they had to sleep with their hair like it was.  When overshot, the charm turned your hair rock solid.)

"So, what happened?" Ginny asked, as she and Catrin walked into the room that held the bathtubs.  They each went into a cubical and talked over the wall.

"Nothing.  He came, he sat down at the window and read his book—"

"Malfoy can read?" Ginny asked, lathering her hair up with Catrin's kiwi-lime shampoo.  Catrin threw over the shampoo in response.

"So, after struggling witht his problem, probably making all sorts of hacked off noises, he came over and helped me with it.  I didn't think I'd live to see the day that a Malfoy would willingly help _anybody_," Catrin said, rinsing the last of the conditioner out of her hair.

"Mmm, I agree.  Anyway, I got all my arithmancy done, and I finished my potions essay."  Ginny threw back Catrin's shampoo and conditioner, and soaked in the water.

Catrin got out of her tub, "Really?  I want you to do my potions essay for me, but I _think_ professor Snape may have given me something extra for the potion I did Monday.  Apparently it was a big hit," Catrin wrapped her towel around herself and got one of the smaller bathroom towels to dry her hair.

Ginny heard Catrin getting out and decided to get out as well.  "Yeah.  Anyway, Hermione did the rest of my Arithmancy, so apparently I owe her one Potions essay."

They joined up in the mutual dressing room.

"Really?  So, what's happening on the living end of the line?  You heard all about my end," Catrin pulled on her pyjamas, purple silk with teddy bears all over it.

Ginny smiled shyly.  "Well, I guess you ought to know.  Harry asked me to the Yule.  Okay, I asked Harry."

Catrin mocked surprise, "So that wasn't just a show by my deathbed?"

There was muffled crying from one of the bath cubicals.

"No, anyway, you going with anyone?" Ginny raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"No, not the anyone you're thinking of.  But, Colin asked me to go with him," Catrin told her, beginning to braid her hair.  Ginny took over Catrin's hair.

"Really?"  There was more muffled crying.  "Such a shame to think that Colin and Harry are both taken," she said loudly.  They could hear some gasps from behind the door.

"Yes, such a shame!" Catrin practically yelled back, getting Ginny's idea.  She waited as Ginny dumped their wet towels in the laundry basket, and held onto the door handle.

"GO!" Ginny mouthed and Catrin shoved open the door, feeling it push against several bodies.

Catrin and Ginny stepped gracefully over the fallen group of girls, some of them wrapped in nothing but a towel.  There were several red, puffy faces, as if they'd been crying.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop you know," Ginny smiled sweetly and led Catrin out of the bathroom.

"Why is it, that we manage to catch them every time?"

**A/N**:

Wheeeeeee!  I had fun writing this one.  The two review that I got sustained me.  *glares* at all those people who read and didn't review.  I mean, it's not like I ask for reviews, do I really have to?  Flame me, for all I care.  Catrin and Ginny won't mind.

FF.net needs a hit counter.  That way I can see how many people actually viewed it.

Nevermind.

I've suddenly changed the plot halfway through, the main plot is the same, some funky things changed though.  I might post a cookie.  I like cookies.

Anyway.  Go read Boy Meets Boy.  And Mega Tokyo.  Very funny comics.

So, thankyou to **Avadriel** for you review of chapter three!  If you're nice and review I'll put your name down.

Maybe.

So, that's all from me.  There was a tiny sneak preview of the girl's bathroom in this chapter.  I couldn't resist.  Yule ball in…uh…one chapter?  Only if you're good.

Ta

Matrices


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

====================

Chapter Five 

_The room was dark and silent, and the only light was coming from a crystal ball in the center of the room.  A tall man paced the length of the room, the hood of his cloak covering his face._

_The smaller man sitting at the table had gnarled hands that held out over the crystal ball.  He too had his hood pulled over his face, concealing all features._

_"Well, is he coming?" the man who was pacing asked, annoyed._

_The man sitting at the table moved his hands around a little more, then replied, "He is coming."_

_"Then what's taking so long?!" demanded the pacer, "He should have been here by now if he followed all the signs!"_

_"There is something stopping him…" the man at the table started, the pacing man interrupted._

_"God knows there's something stopping him!  It's that Potter boy again.  Damn him, we'll have to get him out of the way," he replied._

_The seer shook his hooded head, "No, it is not the Potter boy.  Everything _he_ has done has been perfectly to plan, it is… a girl… a woman… a conflicting problem, a recurring problem…"  The seer trailed off._

_"Damn!" exclaimed the other man._

_The seer's shoulder's shrugged, "What can I do?  I am but a seer.  Allow me to take my leave," he started to stand up._

_"Not without my say so," the other man replied, pushing him down, "I'll damn hell if this name doesn't yet command respect!"_

_"Fine," the seer replied, bowing his head and stooping his shoulders forwards._

_"No, I have a plan.  You need to check something else for me," the pacing man said._

_"Anything… my Lord."_

Harry snapped out of his dream by sitting bolt upright, drenched in sweat.  He lay back down slowly, thinking.  The only problem with those damn dreams that weren't painful was that he couldn't tell when they were happening.  For all he knew, it could be happening right now, ten months ago or twenty years in the future.  All _he_ knew that was his name was mentioned, and he didn't like it.

He tried to go back to sleep, rolling over.  Two beds around he heard Dean muttering: "But you're so hot Seamus."

He pondered his dream, thinking.

_Ack!  Who cares,_ he thought, _It'll all come out in the wash… I hope._

Catrin and Ginny joined Harry, Hermione and Ron for breakfast the next morning.  Harry was bleary eyed, and tired and Catrin and Ginny could barely keep their eyes open.  They had stayed up all night, pretending to be asleep while the rest of the girls in their dorm bitched about them, and Hermione for taking over all the attention of Harry, Ron, Colin and several other people that they deemed "Hottest in the House".

Catrin yawned and grabbed herself some porridge.  Ginny managed a tired smile when Harry passed her a goblet of pumpkin juice.  "We were talking about the Yule in the bathroom.  It seemed to slip out that you were already taken for the ball," Ginny said, smiling.  Harry blushed.

"What happened then?" Hermione asked, interested.

"Huh," snorted Ron, buttering toast and putting it on his sister's and Catrin's plates, "Mass suicide among sixth, fifth and fourth years, probably.  With the odd death in the first, second and third years as well."

"Someone's cheerful this morning," Catrin commented, eating her toast, and loading sugar and cream into her porridge.

"I just found out that Snape has another reason to flunk me," he said.  Ginny yawned loudly, and got looks from every girl at the table, who were probably hanging onto Ron and Harry's every word.

"Peeve's stole my paper, I found it shredded in Snape's classroom today."

"Oh, that's bad," Ginny said.  Cho Chang, looking surprisingly good for early in the morning stopped by their table.

"Hi Harry," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Hi Cho," he replied, head in his porridge.

Cho pitched her voice loud and clear, for all the hall to hear, "I was wondering, Harry, if you wanted to go to the Yule with me?"  The room was silent, even the Slytherins wanted to hear what the Boy Who Lived would say to this stunning girl.

Harry mumbled, "Sorry, I'm already going with someone," into his breakfast.

"Sorry, what was that?" Cho asked, her voice lower because of her uncertainty.

"I said, sorry, I'm going with someone," Harry tried to keep his voice low, but every girl in the room was hanging onto his every word, except Catrin and Ginny, of course.  Catrin had a strange idea of how this would turn out.

"Oh."  Cho's disappointment was visible, she was a year older than Harry and it was her last chance to go to the Yule with him.  "Who is it?" she asked, obviously interested.

Ginny was blushing furiously, but few people noticed; all they saw was Harry, Cho and the tension in the air.

"Oh, I'm going with Ginny," Harry said the last word very quietly, but Cho looked over and saw Ginny blushing in her toast.

This was almost a replica of when Harry had asked Cho to the Yule.  Ginny sunk down in her seat and Catrin wished that she could charm her invisible.

Ginny felt as if she wanted a hole to open up and swallow her.  Every female member of the Great Hall was staring at her or Harry, most males were staring at Cho, but some were still gawking at her.

"I can just see it now, on your resume Harry: Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, the man fancied by the most women (and men) in all of the UK.  Well, done Harry," Ron whispered quietly.  Hermione hit him.  Hard.

Cho broke the silence, by gracefully saying, "I hope you have fun then," and walking off.

The hall seemed to breath again.

Ginny discreetly slipped under that table and Catrin handed her a piece of toast.

"If I could charm you invisible, now, Ginny, I would.  Unfortunately, I don't have that sort of power right now, why don't you crawl under the trestles to the Teacher's table and ask Dumbledore to do it for you?" Catrin said.

Ginny laughed hoarsely.  "Why don't you cover me with your cloak and smuggle me out?"

Catrin considered this, "Not a bad idea, actually."

That day was bad.  Practically every girl in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were ignoring either Catrin, Ginny or both, most of them both.

In Herbology Colin had grouped up with Catrin and Ginny while they were repotting mandrakes.  He took it as his personal duty to make sure that they were fine, especially Catrin, who he seemed to be fussing over a lot.

Catrin was getting death glares from the female person of their class.

"I'm telling you, if looks could kill, I would have died at least ten times back then," Catrin told Ginny as they hurried to Potions.

"If looks could kill we would be dead in a matter of minutes, we're late," Ginny said, speeding up with Catrin and running through the halls.

"If looks could kill Peeves would have killed half of us, but he'd be pretty messed up as well," Catrin said, giggled despite her lack of breath.

"You can't re-kill a ghost," Ginny told her, as they slid into their seats in Potions.

Catrin noticed that she had managed to sit next to Draco Malfoy again.  _If looks could kill,_ she thought, he_ would be dead right now._

It didn't help matters that throughout the halls Colin took it as his own good duty to escort Ginny and Catrin around when they weren't with their friends.  Not, that they had any friends other than Harry, Ron and Hermione, because everybody was ignoring them.

Catrin flopped down on her bed after a long day, and sighed, "I.  Hate.  This."

"Really?" Ginny asked, searching through her trunk for her dress robes.

"Yes.  I mean, time was that we could at least hold a decent conversation with most people in this school.  Now it's 'Hi Lavender' and she nods.  What is with that?" Catrin asked, ticking her ferret under then chin.

"Nothing, is with that, everything is with the fact that _we_ are going to the Yule with the deemed "Hottest Boys in House" and _they_ are not, how do I look in these?"

Catrin lifted her head up long enough to shake her head at Ginny's pink robes.  "Who the hell bought you pink dress robes?  Pink clashes horribly with every Weasly's hair."

"Gred and Forge," Ginny replied, busily searching for more robes.

Catrin got off her bed and decided to join Ginny trying on robes.  She searched through her own trunk and found her favourite old sky-blue robes.  She held it up to her shoulders.

"Ginny?" Catrin asked, Ginny turned around.

"Nope, it's a couple of inches too short in the hem, and the sleeves.  Do you have any hem?  I could take it down for you?" Ginny asked, turning back to her own trunk.

Catrin picked up the bottom of the robe and looked, there was just a small hem, not nearly enough to be let down, and it was the same with the sleeves.  "Damn."  She threw the robe on the bed and turned to Ginny, who was now holding up a green set of dress robes.

"Nuh-uh," Catrin told her, "Green is all…well, at least not that colour green."

"Great.  Just GREAT!  The ball is in two days and I have _no_ robes!  NONE!"  Ginny jumped around the room stomping her feet, Catrin danced out of the way.

"You know what, Gin, I think I'm going to go… do… something… constructive.  You stay here and fume, I'm going to dinner."

Ginny dragged herself into the Great Hall ten minutes after Catrin sat down with Ron and Harry.

"Where's Hermione?" asked Ginny, helping herself to some treacle pudding.

Ron shoved a plate full of vegetables under her nose, Ginny wrinkled her nose at the smell of them.  "Probably off doing some sherpa mumbo-jumbo and cursing every girl in this school who gave her a death glare today," he told Ginny, he pretended to count something off on his fingers, "Which pretty much takes up every girl in the school.  Looks like I won't have a date for the Yule."

"If looks could kill," Harry muttered as he took a mouthful of pudding.

Catrin nodded.  "I know.  If looks could kill we'd all be dead by now, except maybe Ron, who would be a pair of googley eyes."

Ron threw ice cream at her.

"Yeah," Ginny said, ignoring the vegetables and continuing to eat her pudding, "If looks could kill I would have been dead back in first year from that basilisk thing.  Oops," she added, when Ron and Harry gave her strange looks, "I forgot their looks _can_ kill."

"Never, ever get in the way of my sister and her food, lest thy wish to face the wrath of her humour," Ron quoted solemnly.

"Will you help me kill him, Catrin?" asked Ginny.

Catrin considered this then shook her head, "Nope.  Sorry, no can do.  He's just a pair of googley eyes in my mind, I couldn't kill something that cute."

Ron threw his roll at her and stood up, stalking out with an offended look on his face.  Harry followed suit, nodding to the girls before he left.

Lavender Brown, Pansy Parkinson (why a Slytherin sat down at their table eluded them), Chikia Rhodes and several other girls who were the more… 'popular' of their classes, slid into their spots.

Ginny continued eating her pudding.  Catrin ignored them.

"So, how'd you do it?" one girl asked, leaning her head on her chin, and looking as if she would pay attention to every word they said.

Catrin stared at them as if they were nuts.  Ginny took the lead.

"Well, it's really quite simple.  You pick up your spoon, like this, then you scoop some food onto it, and bring it up to your mouth—"

"No that, silly, how'd you get Harry and Colin to ask you two to the Yule?" Lavender asked.

Pansy fluttered her eyelids, "Was any money involved?"

Catrin shot her a disgusted look, "I—_we_— did nothing to make them ask us.  Which is a fair sight less than you lot did.  If you weren't throwing yourselves at Colin, Harry, Ron and the rest of those people you deem to be hot, then maybe it would give them _time_ to notice you."

Pansy Parkinson pouted and left, stalking after Draco Malfoy as he entered the room.  He nodded curtly to Catrin, who looked bewildered at this sudden show.

"See, just then, what did you do to make him nod at you?  Draco Malfoy _never_ takes notice of any girls outside of the dances," Lavender said.

Ginny looked skeptically at them, "She was paired with him in Potions, moron.  It's hard not to recognise someone you've been working with for an hour and a half.  He was just being polite."

"Draco Malfoy is many things.  None of them polite," one girl said in a thick Russian accent.

"Alright!  I'll tell you," Ginny said, throwing her hands up in the air.  Catrin raised an eyebrow at Ginny's sudden enthusiasm.  "Well, what we do," Ginny started whispering conspiratorially, all the girls leaned in with her, hanging onto her every word, "what we do is we go into their dorms at night, and cut a little bit of their nose hair, you know, the hair that grows in their noses?  Everybody has it."  One or two girls looked alarmed at this, touching their noses, but most just nodded.

"Then, we pull it out, the more boogey on it the better," Lavender was starting to look skeptical, and narrowed her eyes, "Then, we put it in our pumpkin juice in the morning and drink it and—"

"You're kidding me," Lavender said, getting up, disgusted.  Some of the girls followed suit but some seemed a little interested.

"No!  Honestly, then we drink it with our pumpkin juice and take aspirin at the same and…" the rest of the girls had walked off and Ginny mocked an offended look.  "What did I say?"

"I think it was more of what you _didn't_ say, come on," Catrin dragged her out of the Great Hall.

Ginny woke at the crack of dawn the next day, eerie gray sunlight filtering through the window next to her bed, and the gap in her hangings.  She pulled aside the hangings and jumped on Catrin's bed.

Catrin rolled over a groaned.  "It's too early to be up Ginny," she moaned.  Ginny grabbed the pillow from under Catrin's head, while Catrin tried to snatch it back.

"Get _up_, sleepy, come on!  UP!"  she whispered loudly…she stopped, hoping that none of the other girls in their dorm had heard her, but no one had.  Someone rolled over and snorted loudly in bed, and Ginny made a mental note to herself to take a Muggle-videotape of some of those girls sleeping.

"Why?" Catrin groaned, as she pulled the pillow away from Ginny and shoved it on top of her head.

"Because, I want to go down to breakfast," Ginny said.

Catrin cracked her eyes open, "Ginny, it's only just the crack of dawn, so to speak, go _back to bed_."

"Ha, you used a cliché, you have to get up now," Ginny poked Catrin.

"Give me one good reason," Catrin asked.

"I don't know.  We get the good stuff at breakfast?"

"It's not being served for another hour."

"Fine.  We can go out and practice Quidditch."

"The pitch is closed."

"We can get some studying done."

"We don't have finals and I've done all mine.  We don't get our break projects until today."

"Fine!  I'll go back to bed then!"  Ginny slunk back to her bed and started reading.

Catrin tossed and turned for a few moments, trying desperately to get back to sleep.  It was an insane hour, and she didn't want to be up.  She shoved her head under the pillow, and listened to the frost crackling on the warming window.  She heard the other girls in the dorm breathing, in and out, in and out.  In…and out… so damn peaceful.  She waited for sleep to come, but she was wide awake now.  Catrin jumped out of her blankets and onto Ginny, pinning her down.  

"Why do you always do that to me?  Always?  I never get a full night's sleep because of you!"  She started tickling Ginny who began to shriek… then she stopped, and looked over at the girls next to them.

"Well, at least they didn't wake up," Ginny said.  Catrin scowled at her.

"_I'm_ going to the bathroom, to use up all the hot water in the showers and take a nice, _long_ bath.  Come if you wish, I have no interest in you," Catrin took on a snobby voice as she said this and Ginny giggled with her, grabbing clothes and a book.  Ginny also grabbed several packets of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans — REJECTS, Lorraine's Long-Lasting Gum, Shrevel's Every-Flavour-Toothpaste — REJECTS and Kikolaine's Removable Soap.

It would be several hours before any of the other girls woke up, and last time Ginny and Catrin had done this, it was amusing to watch everyone else's reaction.  At the time they had been sharing a bathroom with Hermione, and she had given them an annoyed look then marched off to use the sixth-years' bathroom.

Ginny, it seemed, had inherited the twins' prank-playing gene.  Ron swore that it only happened once in a blue moon.  Of course, with seven kids in the family, blue moons came far too often.

Catrin and Ginny spent about an hour in the bathroom.

Half that time was spent chewing gum to plug up some of the sinks.  The rest of the time was spent actually doing something.  They left little packets of Bertie Bott's rejects around, as if they were presents.  Of course, they _were_ the rejects, and tasted mostly like earwax and vomit, spinach and dirt and some other things that were just… nasty in general.  They put Shrevel's Reject toothpaste in the toothpaste dispensers.  Making sure to take at least one dispenser with them, and putting them back perfectly.  They put purple and pink wash-out hair-dye in the communal shampoos, and in anyone's who was stupid enough to leave their shampoo hanging around.  The removable soap was put on the mirrors, and distorted your reflection sufficiently that you looked utterly hideous when you had finished doing your makeup.

Ginny made sure that everything they did was within the rules.  They took baths before they left, making sure that the bathroom looked as if two people had used it — not as if two people had spent an hour in there making sure that _other_ people would have a hard time using it.

All in all, Ginny felt successful.  Catrin felt cheeky, like she had just glued professor Snape's chair to the ground (which Fred and George _did_ do, the last year they were at Hogwarts).  So, with all thoughts, worries, confusion and bewilderment over Draco Malfoy's recent behaviour banished from her mind, she trotted down the Ginny to breakfast.

"Kismet, and Malfoy, Granger and Weasly, Potter and Weasly: G, Parkinson and Zabini.  Those are your pairs for today's potion.  Mind that you will be getting graded on the effectiveness, quality and speed that you make your potion in."  Snape told them, cutting off the end of his sentences the way he always did.

Catrin drooped her head and gathered her stuff, dragging it over to where Malfoy was sitting.  It was going to be a long exam.

"Hello Kismet," Malfoy smiled at her.  Catrin tried not to shove her fingers down her throat in a vomiting performance.  That would, at least, get her into the hospital ward… again.

"Hello Malfoy," Catrin said.  She looked at the potion on the paper before her.

_Just my luck_, she thought, ironically, _I get the potion I nearly died trying to make.  Maybe I'll _get_ to die this time, and then I won't need to go back to the hospital ward!_

"Come on Kismet, let's get to it," Draco said in mock happiness.  Catrin knew that she would get negative marks unless she procured a potion exactly the same as her last one.

"Oh, shove it up your arse, Malfoy," she said, reaching into one of the secret pockets in her robes and procuring a small bottle of potion.  "Ask Snape if we can go outside, to another potions room to make our potion, it's too noisy in here, and the disturbances may affect the potion — make up something," she told him.

Draco raised an eyebrow but raised his hand.  "Yes Malfoy?" asked Snape.

"Professor, can Miss Kismet and I go to another room to make our potion, we think that the commotion may affect the way the potion turns out," Draco asked.

"Fine.  Kismet, Malfoy, next door, I will be checking on you occasionally."

_Which means _never, Catrin translated to herself.  Snape _trusted_ Malfoy, which was more than she could say of herself.  She gathered up all their ingredients, grabbed a parchment and followed Malfoy as he walked next door.  Ginny shot Catrin a sympathetic look as she passed her, Catrin gate the tiniest shrugs in reply: what can you do?

Malfoy held open the door for Catrin and she passed through it, commenting sarcastically, "Not all who are chivalrous are knights."

Malfoy chuckled.  "So, Kismet, couldn't wait to get your hands on me alone?" he asked, smiling.

Catrin dropped everything on a table, and took the vial out of her pocket, throwing it at Malfoy, "Think again."

He looked at it, held it up to the light, and sniffed it, screwing up his nose delicately.  "This wouldn't happen to be the potion you were making on Monday?"

"One and the same.  If we just stick in here, cook up all the ingredients and make an unholy smell, and then hand in _that_ bottle, Snape'll never know the difference.  Then, I say we blow this joint," she tried to ignore her use of the word "we".

"You're suggesting that we chat on our semi-final potions exam?" Malfoy asked, scrutinizing her.

Catrin shrugged, "I spent an hour with Ginny this morning rendering the girls' bathroom unusable.  You figure it out."

"And what if Professor Snape realises that the bottle is cool, not warm?"

"We'll say that we cooled it before handing it in, as it works better after cooling before adding the last bit of mandrake, adds…colour, flavour, something."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Let's do it, then."  Draco proceeded to add all the ingredients required for the first part of the potion.  Catrin amused herself by quickly sketching half a dozen quick drawings of him in action.  The way his back turned, and the fine curves of his face, his long, slender (and incredibly feminine) fingers, and the way his hair flopped over his face from his mushroom-cut.  It was a subconscious action, and when she looked back at them, after making half a scene, trying not to choke, she dated the piece of paper (13th of December), and shoved it at the bottom of her stack.  She took it back out again, and titled it: "Draco Bloody Malfoy", and signed it with her name, adding "who was on some sort of crack at the time, but didn't know it".

Finally the potion was ready, and Catrin dumped the contents of the cauldron in the sink, giving Malfoy the bottle.

"He's much more likely to believe that we're not cheating if you give him the bottle," she told him.

"Fine.  Let's go."  On the way out he held open the door for her, bowing sardonically as she passed.

"If I were in a worse mood, I'd kick you, but all I want to do right now is get out of potions," Catrin snarled at him.  She could almost see Malfoy's macabre smile behind her, as she walked away.

"As you wish," he said, adding almost silently, quiet enough that Catrin didn't hear it, "My Lady."

"Ginny!  I passed!  I passed the potions final!"  Catrin squealed as she jumped on Ginny.  It was the end of the day, and they had all their break projects, and Catrin and Ginny had gone down to check their potions scores.

"Fine thing for you to say.  Harry and I scraped through," Ginny said, eyebrows raised.  Snape's blatant favouritism of Malfoy had managed to get Catrin the marks, as far as they were both concerned.

"Oh, who cares!  I'm going off to study, get some hours in before dinner, you wanna come?  Not the library," she added, leaving open the silent option of either one of their 'private study' rooms.  Ginny shook her head.

"Nah, I wanna talk to Harry about some stuff.  I'll see you back, whenever?  Just before dinner?"

Catrin nodded, and skipped off to her room.  Humming happily.  She sat down, and laid out her books.  She picked up Defense Against the Dark Arts, first.  Their teacher had announced that he would be leaving, this winter, to help his pregnant wife, but would be back in the Autumn without fail.  Professor Lynthara was, obviously, one of the semi-permanent Defence teachers, as he had been here for two years already.

Finally comfortable, Catrin opened her book to the page that they were meant to be reading.  Shoving the sketches of Malfoy into the back of the book, she began reading.

Catrin had no idea how long she'd been reading — she measured time in pages, so she guess about 40 minutes, since she had read over 60 pages, — when the door creaked open.  Expecting to see Ginny she was disappointed to see…

"Come off it, Malfoy.  What are you doing, stalking me or something?"

"As a matter of fact, Kismet, I happen to like this room to study in.  Believe it or not, I study.  Now, will you stay quiet so I can get some work done?" he asked, sitting on the window ledge.

"One word out of you, and I swear I will hurt you so badly, you'll be walking around with saddle legs for weeks."  Catrin warned him.

He nodded, and sat, curled up in the windowsill, reading his Defense against the Dark Arts book, and chewing on his quill.

"What do you want, Draco?" she asked tiredly.  Late afternoon sun filtered through the stained-glass window, a huge shadow in his shape covering the wall.  He turned his head from where he was sitting.  His lean frame was curled into the windowsill and was blocking the sunlight that was streaming through.  He had been blocking her light for the better part of the afternoon.  She would really have to change her homework spot if she wanted to stop getting bugged by him.  Although, this _was_ one of the few rooms in the castle that boasted stone ledges, stained-glass windows and soft carpeting.  Catrin could have made her own carpeting if she wished, with a little help from Hermione.

He had been stealing looks at her all afternoon, soon after he had switched books from his Defense Against the Dark Arts book to his Ancient Runes book.  She also heard the scratching of quill on parchment, so she guessed he was writing something.  Several times when she had felt his eyes on her, she had raised her head, and their eyes had met, his with a silent question, hers with a cold fury.  She knew he wanted to ask something, she just didn't know what.

"You're going to the Yule with Creevy.  Why?" he asked, not his first question of the afternoon.  She had already answered half a dozen about why she hung around Potty, the Mudblood and those "bloody poor Weaslys".  Catrin reminded him that she would personally rip off his balls if he so much as thought of insulting her friends again.

He'd shut up.

Catrin shook her head.  The Yule ball was a day away.  Most people were frantically rushing around getting ready.  She couldn't have cared less.  Colin was just a dance partner, nothing more, even though he had expressed more than once that he would _like_ it to be something more.  "Why do you care?"

"Curious."

She scowled behind his back at the fragmented reply.  "Well, if you wanted to go with me you should have asked.  I'm going with Colin and nothing is going to change that.  I tend to _keep_ my promises," she spat.

Draco laughed, his shadow shaking on the wall.  "What makes you think I wanted to go with you?  Don't flatter yourself Kismet," his shadow stopped shaking and he turned around, and got off the window ledge.  "I have a date, unlike many would like to believe."  The years had softened his harsh comments at Harry and Ron.  At most people, really.  He was more willing to accept people who were not Slytherins these days, and his stupid bickering with the Gryffindors had subsided somewhat.  Like most sixth years he had work to do, and he fully intended to do it, if he wanted to pass school.

Catrin stood up to meet his lazy challenge with a defiant stance of her own.  Her books were piled on one of the stone ledges, save her Defense Against the Dark Arts book, which was open to where she was reading.  "Ill ask you again, Malfoy," she reverted to using his last name.  "What do you want?"  He was so close that she could have touched him.  His hair was like fine, spun white gold.

"What do _you_ want?" he whispered, bending in to kiss her.  Catrin was so surprised she had no time to pull back.  Instinctively she reached up and looped her hands behind his neck.  He locked his hands around her waist and pulled her into him, lifting her up a little as he did so.  Fire coursed through Catrin's veins, searing every bit of sense she had in her.  He deposited her on one of the stone ledges, so they were at about the same height.  She wrapped her arms around him a little tighter, and he pulled her even closer, crushing the breath out of her.  He pulled his lips off for a second, just long enough for Catrin to regain her senses.

Her eyes popped at the realization of what she had just done.  She struggled out of his grasp and jumped, like startled rabbit, grabbed her books and fled.

She ran in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, her lips tingling.  She could remember the kiss, as if she were still back there.  His soft hair, the extreme pleasure of kissing Draco Mal—_no!_  She startled herself.  _I will not think like that_, she muttered in her head.  _I am going places, there is_ no _space in my life for the complication of males!_  She reasoned with herself.  _Yes_, she thought, _I'll just forget it ever happened_.  But she couldn't forget, it was so…_no_, she thought, _no, no, no, no, NO_!  She was bolting up the stairs that would lead to the portrait hole when she hit something that felt like a wall.

It turned out to be Ron.

"Catrin!  Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked.  She had fallen down and she hurriedly gathered up her books.

"Uh, I, uh…" she racked her brain for a plausible lie.  "I had to meet Ginny for something and I was late?" she said quickly, catching her breath.  She hoped that she wasn't too red, but she could blame that from the run.

"No, Ginny's upstairs with Harry discussing their…" he screwed up his face, thinking, "post mortem.  Something to do with their…potion."  He snickered, Catrin knew exactly what he was thinking.

"She…is?" Catrin said, still panting slightly.  "I could have sworn I had to meet her…" her voice trailed off as she realised that she didn't have her DADA book.  She had left it in her study room.

"Nope.  You ran all that way for nothing, I was just going to get something from the kitchen.  You want anything?" he offered.  Catrin shook her head.

"I better get up to talk with…Ginny," she said, taking a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves.  She took several more, thinking clearly.

"Fine then, I'll see you later," Ron said, looking strangely at her because of her behaviour.  Catrin jumped up the stairs and barged in on Ginny and Harry, sitting, heads together, talking.

"I'm sorry to break up this happy family reunion, but I need to speak to Ginny.  Now," she added when Ginny didn't look like she was going to move.  Catrin fully intended to tell her everything about Malfoy.  As soon as she could muster up the courage.  Which, she hoped would be now.

Catrin dragged Ginny up to their dorm and sat her down on her bed.

"Ginny."

"Catrin, yes?" Ginny said.

"Ginny," Catrin said again.

"Catrin, if you brought me up here, just to repeat my name uselessly, I have better things to do," Ginny said, standing up.

"No!  Sit down," Catrin said.  She felt…strange about the kiss.  It was a secret, a nice secret.  Something she wanted to wrap around her heart to keep her warm at night, a secret she wanted to hug to herself, but she should tell Ginny.  "Ginny, I… uh, I … need new robes!"  She burst out.

Ginny looked happy at that.  "Good, I need new robes as well, do you want to go into Hogsmeade with me to get some new ones?  It should be fine, Dumbledore told us at breakfast that we could go, you were all… spacey."

"Fine, tomorrow morning sounds good, before the crowds hit, thanks Gin," Catrin said, pursing her lips and nodding.

"Anything else?" Ginny asked, looking as strange as Ron at Catrin's peculiar behaviour.

"Uh, nope."  Catrin said, sitting down a swinging her arms.

"Okay then, I'm going back to talk with Harry," Ginny made for the door but Catrin stopped her.

"Wait!"

"What Catrin?"

"Do you have your Defense Against the Dark Arts book with you?"

**A/N:** The spoiler kiss in this chapter is for Avadriel, because she put up nice reviews.  The chapter is dedicated to Caz and Annie, because I'm really sorry that I haven't emailed or talked in a while.

Nice people are:

scarce.  Not enough reviews.

Thanks again,

Ta

Matrices


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

====================

Chapter Six 

Ginny told Ron of their plans to go to Hogsmeade Saturday morning at breakfast.  Harry wanted to come.

"No, Harry.  You cannot go," Hermione replied in Ginny's stead.

"Well, why not?" asked Harry, as they begun to walk out of the Great Hall.  Catrin noticed, from the corner of her eye, that Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were getting up as well.

"Because.  Dresses are a girl thing.  You'll just get in the way," Ginny replied.

"Well, I wouldn't mind helping you change," Harry said, eyes wide, feigning innocence.  

Catrin snorted.  "As would the rest of the world."

"Hey, I resent that!" Ron protested, "She's my little sister!"

"You have to admit though, Ron" begun Harry, "that she has got great—."

Harry never finished his sentence, because a purplish hex whizzed past his ear, a white one passing just over his head.  Hermione and Catrin spun around, wands out, as three young boys faced them with their own wands out.  The crowd around them was thinning, and Dean and Seamus were dragging away poor Neville, who had been the target of one of the curses that went awry.  Harry turned around slowly, Ginny holding onto his arm.

"You'll be next, Harry Potter!" shrieked one of the boys, his eyes malicious.

"Yes!  The Dark Lord is coming Harry Potter!  Cannot you feel him?" cried another.  They looked to be first or second years, thought Catrin, but she couldn't really tell.  She noticed Draco and Blaise shouldering their way through the crowd, towards the boys.  Both had annoyed looks on their faces.

The third boy said nothing, but whispered a hex that hit Catrin in the stomach and had her doubled over in pain.  She thought it was the Cruciatus curse, but, given his age and inexperience, had only pained her in one spot.  Ginny rushed to her aid, and Ron turned a deep red, the shade he got when he was angry.  Hermione was whispering furiously in Harry's ear, but Catrin couldn't make out the words, but she could see Harry looked angry.

She looked up at the crowd of people.  Some, those who had heard what the boy were looking either disgusted or horrified.  She knew that the teachers would be on him in minutes, there were Dark detectors all over the school.  For now, Draco and Blaise had control of the situation.  Draco, looking much angrier now, had picked up the boy who hit Catrin with the curse and was holding him a foot of the ground by his collar.  The boy, it seemed, was having a little trouble breathing.  Blaise had grabbed the other two and knocked their heads together in a clichéd move, not hard enough to knock them out, but hard enough to hurt.

"You do _not_ mention His name!" Blaise hissed at them.  One boy shook his head, confused, but the boy in Draco's grip, managed to gasp something out.

"The Dark Lord rewards his faithful followers," he said, in a hissing snakelike voice.  

"We told you already, don't mention His name," Draco shook him like a terrier, to enforce the message.

Harry looked slightly confused at this.  Draco had been the source of torment about the Dark Lord for years, and now he was trying to shut up these kids?  It didn't make sense, to anyone.

"Move!" Zabini barked, kicking the two boys in front of him, turning them towards the Slytherin rooms.  Draco stood, talking in quiet tones to the boy he was holding up.  There was a bit of nodding but much shaking of heads during this conversation.

McGonagall walked in, huffing madly.  "All of you, back to your classes!"  But it was said without the vigour and bite that McGonagall normally used.

Draco pointed wordlessly down the hall to where Blaise was now out of sight.  McGonagall stormed down, her deadly intent obvious.  Catrin was confused by this attempt to protect the boy in front of him.  Snape walked in, eyes flashing.

"Go.  You have classes to go to?  Do you not?"  When nobody moved he sighed, "MOVE!" he yelled.  Everybody, except Draco and Catrin, hurried off.  A morbid fascination, and the pain in her stomach, was what kept her from moving.  She doubted that Ginny had noticed she wasn't gone, with all the students pressing around her to get away from Snape, but that wouldn't last long.  The boy who Draco had been holding had been placed on the floor and ran off, in the same direction the Blaise had taken, disappearing around a corner.

Snape and Draco ignored Catrin, talking in hushed tones.  As it was, Catrin was content to curl up on the floor, letting the pain continue, feeling it receding… but not fast enough.  Snape, when he was done with Malfoy, walked over to her.

"Stand up, Kismet," he said.  Catrin stood up as well as she could, Draco supported her by the elbow and Catrin leaned against the wall, pain flickering across her face.  "_Finite Incantum_," Snape barked, and Catrin felt the pain slip away.

"Can you stand on your own?" asked Snape.  Draco let go of her arm, but stood by, ready to steady her if necessary.  Catrin managed to stand, though shakily.

Snape assessed her with a scrutinizing eye, "Does it hurt anywhere?  Where did it hurt when the curse was on?"

"My…stomach," Catrin replied, answering the last question first.  "It still hurts there…just a little.  What was it?"

Snape ignored her question.  And held his wand point over her, scanning for something.  Catrin didn't know what.

"If it still hurts there could be internal damage," Draco commented, "That's normally a side effect of the Crucatius."

Catrin glared at him questioningly.  "So, that's what it was then?"

"It was indeed the Crucatius.  Although in an incredibly weak form, and it didn't spread like the normal Crucatius would.  Probably because the caster didn't know how to cast it properly, and couldn't expand it like it does normally.  I'm scanning for traces of Dark magic left in your system.  If there are, even the simplest _lumos_ will have the teachers running."  He finished down at her toes, "You're clean.  Take her to the hospital ward, if you will, Mister Malfoy, Madam Pomfrey will check for internal damage."

"Weak?" Catrin squeaked.  Both men ignored her.

Draco held onto Catrin's elbow as they walked down to the hospital ward, again.

"You held up remarkably well, Miss Kismet," Snape said, startling bothe her and Draco.  "Not many could have held up that well against the Crucatius, even in that dilute and weakened form."  He stalked off with his usual sweep of robes.

"How do you know about the side effects of the Crucatius?" Catrin snapped at Draco.

The boy shrugged, an elegant gesture, "I'm Draco Malfoy, remember?  Epitome of all evil, minion of the Dark Lord, famed harasser of Harry Potter and torturer of the month in Snape's dungeon."

"Well, _I_ don't think you're that bad," Catrin said, before she could stop herself.  She slapped her hand over her mouth, and kept it there, looking straight ahead and towards the Hospital ward.

She missed the small smile that alit on Draco Malfoy's face.

Several hours after they had originally intended to be in Hogsmeade, Ginny stood comfortably and elegantly on a slightly elevated stool in the Madam Malkin's Robes shop in Hogsmeade.  The stool was floating in the air, next to which Catrin was standing on an identical one.  The assistant at madam Malkins was being wonderfully helpful, and had shown Catrin and Ginny many different cuts of robes already.  Witch's dress robes were becoming less and less like robes and more like Muggle evening dresses.

Catrin, who was nothing near as comfortable or as elegant, fidgeted while the assistant pinned up the hem of the dress she had chosen.  It was an elegant gown, with a strapless bodice that tapered to one side and was covered by intricate embroidery and beadwork.  The skirt was made of a material slightly heavier than silk, and covered in light chiffon.  It was, Catrin had to admit, beautiful.  She moved around, and felt the box tilt under her.  The assistant pulled on the hem of her dress gently.

"Stop moving dear, I might prick you," she said, in her stately grandmother voice.  Though she looked no older than thirty, she talked like an old lady.  Catrin found it rather amusing, and shoved her hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling.

Ginny, however, didn't.  She giggled softly until she too begun to wobble.

Ginny had gone through more gowns than Catrin.  The discarded ones were lying on a pile next to the box Ginny was floating on.  The dress she had on at the moment, Catrin observed, was definitely the most figure flattering.

Heavy silk (of a rich plum at the moment) clung to her curves, while a lighter, almost completely transparent gauze of silk hung down, gathered in just the right places, let out at the hips with extra material inserted to make it billowy and shimmering.  Catrin nodded her approval, as the assistant fluttered around her feet.

"I like that one, Gin," she said.

Ginny swiveled herself on the stool, considering the dress.  "Really?  I was thinking of something in a dark gold…like…a warm champagne colour."

Finishing up with her pins and needles, the assistant came over and stood at Ginny's hem.  "This does rather suit you, dear," she said, absent-mindedly touching the fabric to make it change colours.  It went from a pale gold, which reflected her complexion beautifully, to darker, almost tan champagne, that didn't really suit her at all.

"The first one was beautiful, dear," commented the assistant, reversing the colour and leaving it at the light gold it had originally been.  Ginny nodded, feeling the thin silk that draped around the main part of the dress.  Neither had cleavage charms on them, as some of the others they had tried on did, and were modestly covering.  Suddenly the assistant clapped her hands like a small child.  "And I have just the, oh, what do you call it, wrist thingy for you!"  She ran to the other side of the room and clutched at a small box as she trotted back towards the girls.  She opened the box so it faced Catrin and Ginny.

The girls gasped.

Inside were a multitude of tiny, fluttering gold butterflies.  They were holding onto small bands, just the size that would fit on your wrist, holding up the hem of your dress, if you so wanted it.  Otherwise, they were the perfect ornament for straps, neither of which the girls had or wanted.

"Oh…but…yes, I noticed, you don't need them do you?" the assistant said, slightly sadly.  The butterflies were indeed beautiful, and Catrin knew she wanted one.  But, those "wrist thingy"s were only for dresses that trailed — a lot — which neither of theirs did.  The assistant then put the box back on the shelf, and Catrin signed to Ginny behind the woman's back.

_Ginny, I want to _leave!

_Come on, Catrin,_ Ginny signed back, _just let the woman change your dress back to ice-blue, and then we'll leave.  I like these robes, are they a little to Muggle, though?_

_No,_ Catrin sighed and kept signing, _Muggle robes are becoming all the rage in the wizarding world, and as long as they have some kind of magical aspect to them, they're acceptable._

_Ah_, Ginny said, _I see.  So what did you think of—_ The assistant turned around and wafted over to the two of them.

"Will that be all, dears?" she asked.

"Yes thanks," Catrin jumped in before Ginny could complain again.  "Could you just change my dress back to that ice blue again?"

The assistant absently touched her hand to the dress and it changed colours, yet again.  "If that would be all…?" She asked.

Catrin nodded and started to strip off the dress.  Ginny did the same as the assistant left the room and closed the curtain to give them some privacy.  Both girls hurredly changed, because although the room was heated, it was still chilly without any clothes on.  Ginny head voices coming towards them when she was partially dressed.  "Hurry up!" she told Catrin, jumping off the raised platform that they were standing on to change.  Unlike the ones they had been on before, this one was larger and more stable, and it had two changing rooms on it.  Catrin wobbled the platform and cursed their inventor.

Catrin was wearing ankle boots under black chords that were warmer than they looked, she had just got her blouse on and done up the first button, when the door opened.  She jumped at the sound of a familiar voice and overbalanced the platform, tumbling down into Colin's arms.

Colin was closely followed by Draco Malfoy.

"Catrin!  What are _you_ doing here?" Colin asked.

Catrin glared and stood up as Colin placed her on the floor, finishing buttoning up her blouse and saving the last shreds of her dignity.  "I could ask the same thing.  In fact, I do, but I add a 'with him?' to the end."

"We got a detention, and were sent here to work.  Happy now?" Colin pushed her out the door.  "Off you go, it's bad luck to see your date before the dance."

"Wha—" Catrin spluttered as Ginny pulled her out of the room.  She heard Draco's snide voice ringing out behind her.

"That's the bride at a wedding, Moron."

There were two short knocks on the door.  Harry, standing alone in his dorm, was checking himself over for neatness.  _Who could that be?_ he wondered, before calling out, "Come in!"

The door opened and in stepped Catrin.  "Hey Harry," she said, making herself comfortable on Ron's bed.  She was wearing an ice blue gown, the bodice tapered to one side and intricately worked.  She looked rather stunning with a sapphire necklace on, adding final touches to her dress.

"So, what's this all about?" asked Harry.

Catrin grinned widely, "I just wanted to tell you, although I'm sure Ron's already been over this with you, that if you hurt Ginny at all, in any way, I will rip you limb from limb.  Boy who Lived or not, you will die if you hurt my best friend in the whole world in any way, got it?" Catrin asked.

Harry sighed, "I feel so left out.  Hermione doesn't have a date, but when she does get one both Ron and I will defend _her_ honour, you've got Ron and I, plus Ginny.  Ginny has you and Ron, Ron has Ginny and I.  But who do I have to defend my fragile heart and honour if Ginny breaks me in two?  No one.  Hermione wouldn't do it, not against Ginny.  Ron wouldn't, it's his little sister and apparently neither would _you_!"  Harry ended in a squawk and Catrin had to laugh at him.

"Trust me, Harry, if the Boy who Lived turned into the Boy whose Heart got Broken, plenty people would defend you.  Mainly all sorts of women.  Probably wearing nothing.  Just… _throwing_ themselves into your path to save you and be saved.  Trust me, you'll love it."  Catrin said, hugging him quickly before moving to the door.

"Hold on Catrin," Harry said, just as she started leaving.

"Yeah?"

"Naked, you say?"

Catrin stood against one wall in the Great Hall, bored.  The dance was even more tedious than she'd thought it would be.  She covered her mouth as she yawned, and looked at her wrist, before flicking her eyes up to the clock.  Dumbledore said that at the end of the dance, there would be some kind of "countdown" but she had no idea what.  Silently she hexed Ginny for making her take off her watch, and attend this insufferable ball.  She blamed Colin for part of that too, as he was far too busy getting asked to dance by a million other people to entertain his own date.  Although, she _had_ told him it was fine to dance with them, and girl after girl had snatched him up without waiting for an answer.

"Catrin!  Finally, I've been looking all over for you, one dance, please?" Colin asked, appearing at her side.

_I think you're underestimating the sneakiness,_ she quoted of a movie she had seen over the summer, and shook her head.  "I can't _dance_ though, Colin," she told him.

"Catrin, come on, at least one dance," he said, laughing, "you owe me that for consenting to come with me!"  He grabbed her fingertips and dragged her, reluctant but willing, onto the floor.  He pulled her close to him as the music started.

Catrin had lucked into a slow dance.

"I bet you requested this song," Catrin said in Colin's ear as they moved slowly across the floor, sweeping in circles.

"And what if I did?"

"I will skin you and feed you to Fidget," Catrin replied, smiling at Colin's laugh.  It felt nice to be safe and warm, held by Colin…but it wasn't really Colin she was thinking about…  She shook those thoughts out of her head.

"Have I told you that you look beautiful?" Colin asked, moving his head so that he could look Catrin in the eye.  She was startled by the genuine pleasure in his voice and the gleam in his eyes.

"Thankyou," Catrin whispered, feeling a traitor.  She pushed the guilt down inside her, and let Colin hold her for the rest of the dance.  She stayed with Colin as people shuffled around, getting ready for the next dance.  And, for the next six dances, he thought she was his.

A song started with a soft introduction, and Catrin prepared herself to dance again with Colin when she heard a lilting familiar voice ask, "May I cut in?"

"Sure," replied Catrin, smiling reassuringly at Colin, before she knew exactly who was speaking.  To tell the truth, Catrin was slightly sick of being dragged around the dance floor by Colin, who held her all too possessively and scowled every time some other guy so much as looked at her.  Catrin was beginning to think that he some issues.  Just some.

Colin looked at Catrin strangely, "Really?"

Catrin turned around to be facing a black robed chest.  Afraid to look up, she raised her chin to see Malfoy's grinning face.  She scowled, so _that_ was where the "familiar" had come from.

"Hello Catrin," said Malfoy.

"Hello, Malfoy," Catrin replied curtly.  She looked at Colin, she did really want him to stop fawning over her for a while, she figured that one dance wouldn't hurt.  "I'll be fine," she told him.

"Oh God, I have to dance with _you_?" she asked.

Malfoy tsk-tsked in his throat.  "It's rude _not_ to," he said, placing his hand in the small of her back.  Thrills raced up and down Catrin's spine.
    
    _Look at this stuff._
    
    _Isn't it neat?_

The first lines of the song started, and Malfoy started to whisk Catrin to the other side of the ballroom.  Who made up the stupid rule that it was "polite to dance with people's whose dance offer you'd already accepted" was an idiot.  He was.  And if it was Dumbledore, though she highly doubted it, he was no exception.

_Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?_

Catrin tried to look as mad as possible.  "So, Malfoy, been to any massive Death Eater orgies lately?"

He raised one eyebrow quizzically, and replied: "Yes, actually, my mother's cheese fondue was excellent, if you may permit me to say so."  He took his hand out from the small of her back and pulled up the sleeve on his left arm, "See.  No one's tattooed me yet."

_Wouldn't you think I'm the girl,_

_The girl who has everything._

Catrin snorted, "For _you_, I hope they use a branding iron."

"Actually," he said, "they use a branding iron for everyone."

"Good God, you're a bunch of sadomasochists.  It's true, isn't it?  Voldemort's supporters are just a bunch of sadomasochists in disguise!"

"Sadists, maybe," Draco replied, his face darkening.

Catrin felt… _sorry for him_, she realised suddenly.  _Here he is, with an insane father, who serves an insane overlord.  Oh, how merry his life must be.  Yo-ho-ho and a bloody bottle of rum._
    
    _Look at this trove,_
    
    _Treasures untold._

She decided not to say anything, incase she felt sorry for him, or said something that would cause problems later on.  She let him maneuver her around the dance floor, so they were behind a crowd of people, nowhere near Catrin's friends.
    
    _How many wonders can one cavern hold?_
    
    _Looking around here you'd think,_

Catrin listened to the music in silence.  Some part of her — the honest part — wanted her to wrap her arms around Draco and hold him closer, another part — her more logical and less feeling side — wanted to push him away.  She chewed on the inside cheek of her mouth, annoyed at her indecisiveness and the internal argument.  She giggled aloud, slightly, _it's like watching a soap opera_, she thought, as she watched the two sides battle it out, and stayed neutral.

"What are you thinking?"

Draco's voice snapped Catrin out of her reverie.  She blushed.  "Nothing," she replied neutrally, traces of hate flaring back up in her voice.

"Doesn't look like 'nothing'.  You get a certain look on your face when you're concentrating," Draco said.

"I said it was nothing," Catrin said, gritting her teeth.

"And I told you it wasn't nothing," he said coolly, gray eyes neutral.

"Fine!  I was thinking about Collin's di—"

Catrin slapped a hand over her mouth, disgusted at herself for even beginning to say something like that.  Inwardly she cackled at herself, amused that the tied down, serious Catrin Kismet could honestly think about some guys' … she couldn't even _think_ the word without giggling.

Draco barked a laugh, cut short by a guilty look.  Catrin laughed along with him.  _Now this is what I came for, a good time_, she thought, and yawned.

"That is something I could imagine you thinking about.  Nothing doesn't suit your mindframe," he said, brushing stray hair off her cheek in a surprisingly tender gesture.

"You could 'imagine me thinking'?  Doesn't that sound _wrong_ to you?" Catrin asked, skipping around the subject.

"No.  My father says it all the time," he replied.

Catrin snorted, "Forget your father for just one moment, forget the death eaters, forget Voldemort and forget your life… what would you do?"

"What, right now?"

"Yes."

"Ah."

Draco leaned in suddenly and captured Catrin's lips with his own.  When he pulled away his face was slightly flushed, in contrast to Catrin's beet red complexion.

"I see," she said.

"What do you see?  Creevy standing over there, glaring at us?" Draco asked, grinning wickedly.

Catrin was overcome by guilt, "You are a horrible person," she said, "just for _asking_ me to dance."

"No I'm not, I'm a guy.  I was obeying my urges," he replied.

"You are _so_ difficult Malfoy," Catrin snarled, happy that the song was finally ending.  She smiled when she saw that Collin was coming towards her.

"Always smile," Draco said as he let go of her, bowing slightly.  "It makes people wonder what you've been up to."

_I want to be…_

_part of your world…_

"Catrin, you look… pale, do you need something?" Collin asked.  Catrin snorted inwardly.  _Pale?_, she thought, _I look pale?  When I just got kissed by someone deemed "Hottest in School" by a 53% vote and I look pale?  Like a bloody tomato, more like it_.

"Uh, no thankyou Collin.  Can we… go?  I mean, I'm not feeling too well and I guess I never really _liked_ dances or anything…" _and I don't want you to see me caught in another clinch with Draco Malfoy_, she added silently, hoping her face did not betray her.

Something that looked like guilt mixed with anger flashed across Collin's face, but then he composed himself.  "Sure… I mean, if you want to, that's fine.  I guess if you're feeling sick… after what happened this morning… you have every right to feel that way, I'll get our stuff?"

"Thanks Collin, meet me by the door?  I just want to tell Ginny where I'm going, so she doesn't worry," Catrin smiled warmly at him, and watched as he smiled in anticipation back, guilt knotting her stomach.  She peered through the crowd, looking for Ginny and Harry where she had seen them last.  Fortunately for her they were getting close next to one of the knights in the Great Hall.  Catrin smiled, Ron _would_ be pleased with her for breaking them up.  She hurried over to the other side of the room and discreetly poked Ginny, who glared at her.

"Sorry to break up your little _rendez-vous_, but I'm going.  I'm sick and tired of this ball, plus I'm not feeling too well.  Collin's meeting me out side," Catrin said.  Ginny nodded.

"I think I'm sick too, lets go back to the common room.  Or our dorm, for that matter.  Coming, Harry?" she asked.  She didn't need to, at the first utterance of her plans Harry had decided to go along.  "You don't have to," Ginny added, continuing coyly, "I'm sure there's plenty here for you to do…"

"Shut, Ginny.  I'll get Ron.  And Hermione, if she isn't busy with _someone else_," he stressed, jerking his head towards another wall where Hermione was happily flirting with a Ravenclaw and Catrin didn't know.

"I think Harry's jealous.  Hermione's never had anyone pay her that much attention before," Ginny said, as she and Catrin wandered in the general direction of the door.

"I know.  But, then again, they never really noticed us either, did they?" Catrin replied, scooting around some chairs that had been pushed into a circle and then deserted.  Catrin peered at what appeared to be a pair or panties draped over one of the chairs and decided to ignore… whatever it was.  She covered her mouth and yawned as they neared the door, hoping to look tired so Collin would see that her excuse was feasible, but he wasn't there.  She dropped her hand, and turned on Ron.

"Where's Collin?" she asked.

"Dunno.  Haven't seen him since he got pissy when you danced with Malfoy.  Why did you dance with Malfoy?" Ron answered, picking at his nails and ignoring Ginny and Harry who were standing on the other side of the suit or armour next to him.

"I already accepted before I turned around, before I knew who it was," Catrin replied, leaning against the wall with him.

"So, he's Malfoy, you didn't have to accept, or even go through with it, you know," Ron replied, indignantly ignoring the giggles that were coming from the other side of the Knight.  Catrin knew that Ginny was stirring, and she knew that Ginny knew she was stirring, and Ron probably knew as well, but, she figured, that when your little sister's honour was on the line, it didn't matter how heated you god.

"Ron, some people believe in polite-ity-ness… whatever.  Other than that, it was a crowded room, he couldn't lay a hand on me," she argued.

"Catrin, it was a crowded room, every Death Eater in Hogwarts could have laid a hand on you and nobody would have noticed."

"… Ron…?" Catrin asked.

"Yeah?"

"We're at Hogwarts, there _are_ no Death Eaters."

"Death Eater's child.  _Child_, I said.  I said child."

"Good _night_, Ginny," Ron said, pushing Ginny up towards her dorm.  He dragged Harry in the opposite direction, scowling.

Hermione laughed, "Come on Ginny, you'll see them again tomorrow.  Dorm, now."

Ginny giggled at the thought of Catrin and Collin being left alone and pranced up the stairs, chatting happily to Hermione who looked like she was tired of hearing about Harry.  Harry Harry Harry was all that was on Ginny's mind.

Catrin glanced around the common room.  It was just coming onto eleven, and they were the first people back from the Ball.  Obviously, since she had felt "sick" and decided to leave.

"Well, then…" Catrin said, turning towards the stairs.  "Thanks Collin… I had a really nice time."  _Nice,_ she thought, _interesting choice of adjective there, Kismet.  Nice, not great, or funny, or wonderful or even _good_, just nice.  You are truly the most oblivious person alive._

Collin seemed unaffected.  "Hope you get better soon.  Sleep well, Goodnight Catrin."

Catrin turned around and started walking towards the dorm.  "Catrin?" Collin called out.  She spun around slowly.

"Yes?" she squeaked.  Suddenly, Collin was a lot closer than he had been before, she could hear his heartbead, feel hear own, thumping in her throat.  She looked up at his eyes, they were so blue… ringed with a dark blue… almost black in the non-light of the Common room.

Collin lowered his head slowly, just a little bit, inch by inch, so his lips grazed her own.  He stood up after a second like this.

" Night, Catrin."

"… Night Collin."  Catrin replied… heading slowly up towards her room.  Confused and guilty.

**A/N:** This chapter is a whole lot shorter than I intended it to be.  It was a pain to write, and I'm hoping that I can get on with the action chapters soon.  I'd like to thank **Avadriel**, for pushing me to write this chapter.  And everybody who reviewed, it's great reading the reviews.  If you'd like to tell me something, or yell at me for any reason, drop me a line.  My email's in my profile.

Thanks again, as always, check back soon for more!

 - Matrices


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